NONPROFITS AROUND TOWN: The Resource Exchange; Mill Dog Rescue

Doggies and people. One lunch, one wine tasting. Over two straight days, hundreds of local people raised thousands of dollars for independence programs for the developmentally disabled and to rescue dogs from puppy mills.

The Resource Exchange

The Resource Exchange, called by its letters TRE, is well known within the community that serves the developmentally disabled and those using its services. It’s a bit of a mystery to others.

The nonprofit set out to remedy this with its inaugural “Building the Dream” luncheon fundraiser Aug. 5 at The Broadmoor, which raised $28,000.

Looking out over the 300 community leaders, volunteers, philanthropists, families and those from other agencies, Rabbi Mel Glazer reflected it was “v’not-nu,” roughly translated “and they shall give.” The palindrome spelled vav, nun, taf, nun, vav, said Glazer, demonstrates that “when you give, it comes back to you.”

Photos: http://tinyurl.com/22wwaln

Executive Director David Ervin told the audience, the seeds for community programs for the developmentally disabled were sewn by John F. Kennedy, whose sister Rosemary was mildly mentally disabled until a lobotomy forced the family to institutionalize her. Ervin’s first job was to close such an institution.

 “I’ll never forget the smell,” he said, or the naked man left on a hallway floor until someone came along to give a helping hand up. It was Ervin’s hand.

Today TRE serves 2,500 children and adults, helping them toward independence. One of them is Martin Nowosu, Jr. His son, said Sgt. Martin Nowosu who has served three deployments with the 4th Infantry Division, “couldn’t even call me daddy or my wife (Ella) mommy. He couldn’t point and identify things.”  Now, the lively little boy calls them daddy and mommy and the family plans their first trip to their native Nigeria for Christmas. 

Another touching highlight was artist Joe Bishop, whose “intelligence and soul are intact,” says his website (beyondmywheelchair.com), but he is “severely physically disabled and unable to speak.” He can, however, paint with an adaptive splint and help from his adoptive mother, Pat. In his poem, read by Jackson Douglas, Bishop’s art is his way out of his bottle, “the bottle that is my life. Always on the inside looking out.”

Other program participants were Jeff, Sheila and Nathan Frey; Dave Matthews, whose son Christopher, “passed away”; Wesley Julian, Mark and Lamar Daniels, Michael, Kim and Abby McDaniel, board member William Kurtz and members of the TRE staff. 

National Mill Dog Rescue

The wine samples were a bouquet, the Summit Catering food a success, Dan Dameron’s music a treat and the live-auction Bret Michaels’ guitar went for $1,700. What everyone will remember about the “Ruff! Life” fundraiser, however, were the faces. Take-me-home faces. Big-dog faces, adorable smushed-nose faces and lick-the-friendly-hands faces. Dogs of every size and breed, some with “Adopt Me” or “Puppy Mill Survivor” bandannas  were there to meet and greet — and maybe even get adopted by — animal lovers.

Photos: http://tinyurl.com/2ckgdtu

"Our community has truly embraced us,” said NMDR Director and Founder Theresa Strader, holding back tears as she welcomed 216 guests to Norris Penrose Events Center Aug. 6, guests and volunteers who raised almost $13,000 for her group to continue rescuing dogs from puppy mills.

They’ve already rescued more than 3,500 dogs from deplorable conditions as commercial breeding dogs, said Strader. The next morning, in fact, they would be headed out to rescue 180 more.

By evening’s end, four of the meet and greet dogs had new futures. Ghiradelli, a cocker spaniel with a little gray hair, went to a new home. Starr, a perky  Pom/Chi mix, had several prospective owners to be vetted. Shih Tzu Kenya was another favorite, and Ethel, a Dogue De Bordeaux, has already gone to a foster home.

Strader herself brought another new pet, an adorable, extremely frisky little German shepherd puppy named Eli who went into a barking puppy frenzy when he spotted Richard Gamuac’s Irish greyhound Midore. Maybe it was dainty Midore’s poofy “debutante” attire complete with tiara?

For more rescue dogs: milldogrescue.org

Parade of Ponds results

The 2010 Fourth Annual Purely Ponds Parade of Ponds charity pond tour raised $2,500 for the Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region.

The June 26-27 tour of area water gardens had  28 residential and commercial stops.