REPETITION…FOCUS….AWARENESS = SOLUTIONS!

Seasoned Singles….Give Me A Hand….

This country was built on enthusiasm, creativity, lofty goals, ideas and imagination. We as ” Baby Boomers” helped to bring about the huge technological changes in the past 30 years alone. It is now up to us, it seems, to sort through all the areas of crisis in the Tampa Bay Area and help our fellow neighbors, friends, families, church goers to deal with the pangs of disappointment, fear and stress brought on by the greedy corporate executives only thinking of the millions they can make for themselves, not whether the person who actually has manufactured the product or sold it has a job or not. It’s definitely too late for the blame game….but it isn’t too late to pitch in with your ideas to implement avenues so many need: sources of food, a room to rent, a surrogate grandparent to offset child care,someone who’s eyesight is fairly good to read the newspaper or books to someone who has lost their sight,  someone who loves to cook to prepare some food for someone who is hungry, we need leads for the best food pantry’s and where to find the best free medical clinics, what free and family events are coming our way, which churches are willing to join forces and give even more shelter to the homeless (do you know how many kids in our schools are homeless? The numbers are staggering). Do you have a large home and live there alone? What about reasonably renting a room or two in exchange for help with some of the manual labor upkeep? If you are unemployed but have a car, why not seek seniors who can no longer drive and take them on their errands or to their medical appointments….the list of needs goes on and on.

What we need now is your COMMENTS. Use the comment box or talk with me live on by clicking on the link on the site for MEEBO.…I will do my best to connect the needs with the solutions you suggest.
The Lightbulb finally has come on….

And for Christian businesses and churches out there, I will blog about your upcoming events or paste an ad for you on the site…..and I’ll do it FREE!!!!! How good is that?

We cannot tolerate a day of more apathy, thinking the government will provide for those who need help.

There are many loopholes and no money to help the ordinary guy it seems, only more money to print to bail out the corporate giants so their CEO’s can vote proxy’s to establish millions of dollars of income and perks for jobs not well done at all…..We need to work together, collectively people, and use this blog as a stepping stone to introduce SOLUTIONS into the lives of those in crisis…..I am counting on you and your ideas, creativity and empathy….No idea will ever be considered worthless or ridiculous, if it worked for someone you know or yourself….just put it out there, it’s time for all of us to step up to the plate….And it’s you Seasoned Singles who can give me your hand and get this network of solutions going….I need you and others need us….it’s time to stop using printed greenbacks as a commodity and to go back to good old fashioned “bartering time, talents and goods” in exchange for the things we need to turn all our lives around….We did it in the beginning as our forefathers did, now it’s our turn to take our morals, values, upbringing, and trust in God and pay it forward….

May 15, 2009 – Posted by Marty Hermes

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU….CAN YOU?

Attention Churches in the Tampa Bay Area:

Sometimes I am amazed at the creative ideas the Holy Spirit plants in my mind, so many of them have been so doable…..problem I always seem to face, I would get excited, tell someone about them, and of course spoke the idea aloud and wouldn’t you know, someone with money, which I truly have never had, came along and implemented the very idea I had been pondering and was enthusiastic about…..Now I have an avenue for those wealthy grabbers out there….I will just post the “Unusual Possibilities” on this site….and watch someone come along and make the impossible, become possible! What do you think? Wouldn’t that be giving back to the community in ways? So, let’s see how it goes…..Are you ready Tampa Bay Churches?

Networking connects people with people to meet our needs.

The first concept that pops to mind: I have the opportunity to speak with hundreds of retirees, well seasoned singles on a daily basis in my line of work. Their main issue seems to be, fear of parting with any of their limited incomes to provide them transportation to the doctor , hearing, eye, dentist appointments, the grocery store……or CHURCH!!!!!

So think about this for a moment. Many of our fellow brothers and sisters have recently lost jobs, they are struggling, hurting, unable to concentrate on anything because they are finding no possibilities for employment out there….This is where Churches can play a vital role. The Churches can encourage the use of quality networking.…for the unemployed and the aging lonely…

1. Create a Message Board on-line for you that have websites or a board for the church entrance. Make columns, one for “I need” one for “I have to share” , let the members of the congregation complete a small piece of paper which is near the board and stick it up there, for example: Need a ride to and from eye doctor appointment, from Safety Harbor to Tarpon Springs. Then, if anyone works in that direction perhaps they can put up a note as well: I work in New Port Richey, looking for people who need rides up that way between hours of 8am – 5pm, with the name and number to contact…..making it easier for the two parishioners to “connect” and help each other.

2. It creates a safe environment for both because of the safety of going through the church mainstream.

3. It could be very affordable for the seniors, who no longer have a drivers license as well. The one driving submits a mileage report to a newly formed benevolence committee with a fair amount to cover the cost of gas and on a monthly basis is able to receive some kind of monetary reimbursement.

4. In the meantime, the health care facility donate an amount, say $10.00 minimum per patient, to the church that patient attends or lives near, sensible because most of the clinic costs are covered by insurances of some kind and a donation certainly could be “written off as advertising expenses” wouldn’t you think? What better advertising then word of mouth….and you KNOW those seniors will spread the word.

5. Another additional slant to consider, most Christians tithe, which means they give back to God the first fruits of their harvest (paycheck) as we all are encouraged to do in the bible….of anywhere from 5% to 10% ideally….So, to incorporate more giving within the church community, that % donated could be divided, half to the church and half to either the senior or to the driver to cover transportation costs.……Any way you look at it the concepts provide the avenue for seniors to get where they need to go afford ably, the driver is “tithing” their time in transporting ( God doesn’t say tithing is just supposed to be cash and only to the church you know…..members of the church community ARE the church, it’s NOT the building, it’s the people gathered in His name to help one another)….And ultimately, the driver has a job, something productive,charitable and self gratifying knowing that they are helping one another in today’s economy. And of course the clinic is able to see more patients which increases their revenue and they are also “tithing” back to the community by off setting the cost for the senior citizens who need so badly their eyes, hearing or diabetes checked and balanced.

A tweak here, a tweak there…..and it’s definitely do -able….don’t you think?

After all, money is only a commodity of trade instead of colored beads the Native Americans first used when we came to their country, which if you are reading my posts, you read about “BARTERING….BACK IN THE DAY”.….this would be a more modern and creative form of doing just that.

And from this small investment of time and bartering funds, who knows how many senior citizens might just be reconnected to a church community, or their self esteem enhanced by becoming a surrogate grand parent for the kids who don’t have one nearby, or who may be put in touch with others of their ages to read to someone who has lost their sight or to spend sometime as a companion breaking bread, fixing a lunch, conversing and reconnecting which would enhance the quality of their lives.

Many seniors are devastated when they can no longer drive. They begin to feel useless and “put out to pasture”, their purpose gone, and yet they are the very ones who sacrificed so much to lay the foundation of this country and our communities. Many are lost, if they have no children to help or if their family is too busy making a living to take time off, to take Mom or Pop to their doctor appointments.…so many do, but if we can all work together beginning within the various churches and network among ourselves, we might be able to restore some of the feeling of independence , of feeling once again needed and useful,which our seasoned “baby Boomer” generation has lost and is losing.

The huge question now is: WHICH OF THE CHURCHES OUT THERE WILL TAKE THE LEAD? WHICH ONE OF ALL OF YOU, WILL THINK THIS ,wink from God, has merit and will get the ball rolling and spread the word….remember, none of us can count on our government for solutions to our everyday existence, they seem to only be well versed in how to print more money, not really how to disperse it where the need truly exists. All we have is one another and our creative solutions. It begins with networking, and leads to a missionary field within our own back yard. Tilling the soil and planting new seeds of solutions!

Join me won’t you…..What have we got to lose, yet so very much to gain….“Let there be peace on earth, let this be the moment now…..” , begin at the beginning and just be who you are….one of the children of God…..struggling to get by yet taking your time and using your talents to give back within our community…

Get involved today by providing your infomation within the “comment” area or email me:www. martyhermes@yahoo.com. I will be more than happy and excited to have this concept take off….and will help you to connect in anyway I can!

Hello world!

A blog to WRITE ABOUT YOUR NEEDS AND SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA…..High Unemployment, aging “baby boomers”, people looking for work, a place to live, transportation, companionship, medical help, child care etc…..It’s all about Networking your solutions…..FREE promotions of area FREE events or Christian business promotions for the family….Comprehensive NETWORKING SOLUTIONS BLOG FOR THE TAMPA BAY FLORIDA AREA….Join us, won’t you?