Free Government Grants for Astronauts: Does the government award them too much money?

America has been known for their knowledge of outer space. We were the first ones to go to the moon. We have made countless discoveries and all of our equipment is state of the heart and much more advanced than any other country. But, all of this equipment is expensive: Space suits, space ships, satellites, special food, monitoring systems etc. Not to mention all of the money that would be spent on testing and research before we even get into space. Who funds all of this research, all of the missions etc? It is our government. Most space related companies are fully funded by the government and if not, they are given a large amount of government grant money to fund the organization.
However, is all of this justified? are all of our tax dollars being spent toward the right things? Would it be better to give the government grants to different organizations besides NASA. Obviously, our economy is in turmoil and could use a little more attention right now. Should government grants that are being awarded to space studies be awarded to things that would boost our economy more?
Although I can see both points, it is my opinion that the government grant money being spent on NASA and space studies is well spent. It’s not just the fact that it helps our government and gives us a competitive advantage, and a good reputation for having advanced technology. It seems to be what America is all about– the ability to dream of the intangible and go to places we would normally never dream about. It teaches our children that anything is possible and encourages them to dream and think outside of the box.
In fact NASA actively tries to involve children in their organization and uses government grant money to give back to children and the youth of our Nation. According to their website, NASA gives out something known as the “Space Grant” or the “National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program” created in 1989. This grant is dedicated to students, and universities that are interested in understanding more about NASA and furthering scientific knowledge to grow the company and it’s findings. The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program includes over 850 universities, colleges, industries, museums, science centers, and state and local agencies.
So, in conclusion, I truly believe that our government is doing the best thing for America as a whole by awarding government grant money to NASA and other Space Organizations. There are a lot of things about America that make it such a great country to live in but one of the best things in my opinion is that we never lose our desire to dream and break boundaries and expand our horizons. As long as we have a strong space organizations, we will never lose this power. If you are interested in exploring space science, or maybe even becoming an astronaut you should definitely do a little bit of research on line and qualify for one of the hundreds of government grants out there.

Grants And Donations Help Abused Animals

After the news of Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring died down, many people began to forget about the awful torture that the dogs went through. Once the story was off the front pages, it was out of site out of mind until Vick’s name came up again. That is until recently. A show put on by National Geographics “Dogtown” has brought all that and more back into the spotlight, and it is all about dogs that have been rescued and rehabilitated- including the four that they rescued from Michael Vick’s property.
I have always been a dog lover, so this show really interested me. It’s as heart breaking as it is inspiring. I love seeing the way that each dog’s personality comes out, and how bad habits can change with love and training-even in dogs who have been forced to fight.
The best part of it is the attention that it is giving the “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary” that is located in Kanab, Utah. This is where they are filming the show. They show how they work with the dogs, and how they find homes for them after rehabilitation. After watching the show you really feel like you want to do something to help. I was checking out their website and saw a lot of comments from people like me who were interested in starting an “Animal Sanctuary” in their own state.
Here is what I found out: A great way to get started is to apply for a government grant. There are many grant programs available for non-profit organizations such as this to get the funding they need to get the operation off the ground. There are different places that you can search for grants, but one of the easier ones is http://www.grantgenerator.com they have an easier way to search for the different grants that are available.
Most of these types of operations wouldn’t survive without government grant money and donations from people and businesses who want to help. This type of endeavor takes not only time, energy, and resources, but also training with animals. If you are not able to start your own shelter-one of the best ways that you can help is by donating. You can donate either money, supplies, or time. Donating to these types of organizations is also a tax deduction, so it can be a win/win situation. Another way to help keep animals from being abused is to spay or neuter your pet.
Also, if you or someone you know are looking at getting a pet, consider adoption of a “rehabbed” pet from a shelter like “Best Friends” where the animals have gone through training (handlers can tell you about the animal’s personality beforehand to make sure it’s a good match). There are so many great animals that need good homes. Check out http://www.bestfriends.org for more info on adoption, donations, or for info on how to care for the pets you already have. There are many other shelters out there that need donations. You can find a list of other organizations that accept donations at their website as well.

Help for troubled teens and their families

Being a teenager is hard. We all know because we have all been through it ourselves. It is a time when you are figuring out who you are (or at least who you think you are) and gaining your own independence. Some kids aren’t affected as much and either make decent decisions (or at least learn from their mistakes) and are somewhat happy with their lives. For others, it is a very difficult road not only for the teenager, but for the parents as well. Whether it is a stage of rebelliousness, choosing to take drugs, having sex, or being unhappy with their body, teenagers have a lot of challenges to overcome.

A lot of teenagers don’t get along with their parents, and think that they would be happier somewhere else. The National Network for Youth estimates about 1.3 million teenagers run away from home each year. Studies show that over half of them returned home. But what about those that did not?

When I was a teenager, I did the same thing. After a huge blowout with my parents, I ran away from home and stayed with a friend for a week. After searching high and low for me, my parents were worried sick. When I finally came home they were upset but they were so glad to see me that I felt happy to be back home. I was very lucky. I had a place to stay with people who cared about me. The situation could have been very different. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what I had truly put them through.

For many of the teenagers who run away and don’t return home, it is the start of the downhill spiral. Most get involved with drugs, gangs, prostitution, etc. Some are abducted and some are killed. As a parent myself, the thought of my teenager running away and living on the streets is heart wrenching. I can’t imagine the pain for those parents who don’t ever see their children again. Thankfully there are resources out there to help them and keep them safe until they can become reunited with their families.

Our government recognizes that this is a problem here in the U.S. and sets aside grant money each year to fund programs to help these troubled youth. There are a variety of programs that receive this grant funding, not only runaways but also other at risk teenagers and their families. Some of the programs include: Runaway and homeless youth housing facilities and job training programs, abstinence educational programs, teenage pregnancy and adoption programs, street outreach and drug programs and much more.

For the families of troubled or runaway teens at least there is some comfort knowing that there are some resources out there to help them. The only difficulty is getting the information out there, so the families know they have help to deal with the issues that teenagers face, and the kids know that there are adults out there that they don’t have to be afraid of that will help them.

For more information on grants go to http://www.grantgenerator.com to search for all of the different grant money that is available. For more information on the programs that help troubled teens and their families go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs and do a search for “teen”

Student Grants: Government is cracking down on fraudulent student grants!

The government has an excellent program in which it awards students who cannot afford college tuition with government grants in order to help them get by. They can use the money in any way they choose. For example, some students may actually pay their tuition but need help with books, and living expenses. It is an awesome program because it provides more individuals with an education which in turn provides more opportunity, more jobs, and a better thriving economy. What a great way for the government to spend money right?
Well, the answer is yes as long as the free government grant money is actually going to students. Recently, the government has discovered a shockingly high amount of fraudulent applications where individuals pose to be students in order to live off of free government grants. I wasn’t too surprised when I found this out. My husband works for a University and deals with applications for grants and financial aid all the time. He works specifically for the Aviation Department. For anyone who isn’t aware, Aviation is a very expensive major because of all the time you have to spend renting the plane, and paying for instruction. He once told me I would be shocked to know how many people apply semester after semester for Government funding and get thousands of dollars in free government grant and then DROP all of their classes. If this alone is not shocking enough, they actually do over and over again! Apparently, the school cannot make decisions when it comes to government funding.
Certainly we all work too hard to just give away our hard earned tax dollar to students who in fact aren’t actually students!! So what steps is the government taking to put a stop to this? Well, the Student Loans Company (SLC) is going to carry out random investigations to student applications. They will randomly select a predetermined amount of applications and look deeper into the application. This audit would include talking to University Counselors, reviewing transcripts, and monitoring the applicant’s activities for a 3 month span.
The audit will also include diving deeper into the applicant’s income. A lot of applicants fail to claim all their household earnings. For example, an applicant may claim his mother’s income when in fact he is living with his father. Or they have a job in construction, or teaching lessons etc. that is “under the table” and therefore their real income does not actually show up on their tax returns which is what the government uses to determine how much free government grant money to give out.
I don’t, however, want to portray a negative attitude about free government grants for education because I am in fact a huge supporter. In fact, my husband and I would never be able to make it through his schooling if it weren’t for government grants. I am just appalled that people would take advantage of this great program and take a chance of ruining it for all of the honest students who need the government funding to make it through schooling.

Federal Grants for Faith Based Organizations

There has been an argument of whether it is justified for the government to give out faith based free government grants. The major argument is that religion and the government should be completely left separate and that if the government gives out grants to Christians, it is being prejudice against organizations or individuals who do not have Christian believes. They argue that America is a free country after all, and people should be able to worship whoever or whatever they want and only if they choose to. While I see where these people are coming from, I entirely disagree.
Although I do admit that I am partially biased due to the fact that my religion is probably the most defining element in my life and I am clearly Christian, I also have a factual based argument against this belief as well. The reason why the government gives out faith based free government grants is because these religious organizations spend this money on helping people. Religious organizations help alcoholics, homeless people, hungry people, children who need clothing and food etc. In a 2006 press conference Bush comments , “If you’re addicted to alcohol, and if a faith program is able to get you off alcohol,” the president told leaders of religious charities on Thursday, “we ought to say Hallelujah and thanks at the federal level.”
I couldn’t agree more. There is nothing prejudice about trying to help Americans who are facing problems. If an atheist wanted to setup an organization to help the homeless, or to help children in need he/she too would be able to get financial assistance from the government.
President Bush goes on his press conference to give an example of how a religious organization that helps the poor get home loans. Before qualifying for a government grant they were only able to help about one tenth of the people they are able to help now. She is now serving over 10,000 people. Not only is this amazing because it helps people and helps build up our social services department but it also helps out the economy as well. The more people we can get into houses, the more taxes are being paid and the better our economy gets.
This is just one example of the thousands of things that religious organizations do using free government grant money. I know it may be a stretch, but when people are so hyper-sensitive about the government being prejudice towards them they fail to see the big picture. I’m pretty sure if you asked the same people who are opposed to the government giving out faith based grants if they are also opposed to helping the homeless, feeding hungry children, etc. they would most certainly say no. It is my personal belief that people need to educate themselves with the entire situation before jumping to rash conclusions that the government is not separating church and state, or that the government is being prejudice towards them.

Low Income Grants Help People Make More Money

$12 million dollars in grant money was recently allocated for a low income housing and training program. This grant money is to be used for down payment assistance on home purchases and job training for people who are on public assistance or just have a low income. The plan is to create jobs by providing professional training to individuals who qualify. The training will help them be able to qualify for higher paying jobs or be able to bring in additional income. They also build up earned income credits that can be used toward the purchase of a house, or additional education. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said of the program: “These grants will help public housing residents find employment or assist others who want to increase their earning power.”
I heard about the program from an acquaintance of mine who ended up being a perfect candidate for the program. Cleo is a single mother of three who is working two jobs that even together don’t pay enough to cover all of her monthly expenses. She comes close, but still relies on government assistance to make ends meet. When someone told her about it she was pretty excited. The next day she contacted the rep she had worked with at the local Housing Authority regarding the program. She applied and was accepted. She couldn’t believe how fast! She said she is able to do some of the training from home on the computer, and is getting some great education she will be able to put on her resume. Already she has found several jobs she will be able to qualify for once her training is done. She said she feels like she is in control of her life again, and that she can’t wait to finish. She has already put together a great resume and has also gotten a letter of recommendation from a teacher. After seeing the effect it had on Cleo, I thought I should share what I had heard.
I think this is a great opportunity for people to gain the confidence they need to get out into the job market and make a higher income. Not only that, but also to enable people like Cleo to support themselves and not rely so heavily on welfare and other government assistance programs. It brings to mind the old saying “Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man HOW to fish and he can feed himself for the rest of his life.”
This program is available nationwide. If you are already receiving government assistance, contact the representative or office that you work with. You can also apply through your local housing authority. If you can’t find your local housing office, or are not currently receiving government assistance, you can look it up online at http://www.hud.gov and do a search for PH FSS (Public Housing Family Self Sufficiency Grants). I think the application cut-off date was is July 18, 2009. Participants set employment goals and are required to sign a contract if they are approved for the program.
If you or someone you know is in need of this or any other type of assistance, have them take a look at this website to search for other grant opportunities that are out there http://www.grantgenerator.com

Faith Based Grants help those in need

When I was a child I remember a period when my family was struggling financially. We had never been “well off” but my parents made enough money to get by. Then one day my father came home from work looking pale and worried. He and my mother were talking privately in the kitchen. My sister and I were eavesdropping from around the corner. He told Mom that the company had lain off half of their employees and that he was given his notice and told he could pick up his last paycheck at the end of the week. He immediately began looking for other employment, but at that time it was difficult for him to find a fulltime job that would support us all. After a while, things began to get really stressful. We had eaten just about everything in the cupboard, and there was no money to buy more food. There were notices being put on our door that our power would soon be turned off if the bill wasn’t paid. Then came the foreclosure notices. We didn’t understand at the time, but we were about to lose our house. Then one day, a man from our church showed up with a bunch of boxes. He handed my mother an envelope and left. She began crying when she opened the envelope. She asked us to come help her with the boxes. Inside there was all sorts of food, and other health supplies. By the time we put everything away our cupboards were full again. After a while, my father found another job, and we were able to get caught up on our bills. Things were back to normal again. Had it not been for the man from the church, we may not have been able to get back on our feet. There are so many people out there that need help. This is just one of the many examples of how religious organizations have given aid.
As a whole, Religious Organizations have done a lot to help those in need. Whenever there is a natural disaster or problem that affects an entire community, it seems that the first people to step up and volunteer are religious or faith based organizations. Volunteers are always needed to help put things back together, help families in need of food, shelter and medical supplies. Religious groups also serve their communities in many other ways. That is why the government has allocated money to faith based grants. They know that by doing so, it will go back into the community in a variety of positive ways.
In many cases, member donations are not enough to provide all of the assistance necessary. Faith Based Grant Funds have been used to help low income families get food and clothing, as well as pay bills, help feed and clothe the homeless, etc. Funds have also been used to help pay for the education of those who are studying in clergy related fields, as well as pay for community education programs.
If you are looking for funding for your religious organization, or for religious studies, go to http://www.grantgenerator.com to search for programs that you may qualify for. They make it a lot easier to locate and apply for grants. Thank you for dedicating your time to help those in need.

Build awareness in your community

Ever wanted to be more involved in your community? I’m not talking about running for office or getting into politics but on a small neighborhood level. There are a ton of things you can do to unite your community and I want to share them with you. Not only do I have a bunch of ideas for you but I’m also going to share with you a little secret on how you can get funding for these neighborhood activities.
You can get involved in your community in many ways. There are many programs that can help build your community like crime prevention, disaster planning, and safety training. All of these programs can be implemented in your neighborhood to help bring people together and avoid serious problems. To get started the Federal Government issues grants to applicants so that these programs can get off the ground. So if you have ever been curious about starting any of these programs but didn’t know how to get started now you can.
Crime prevention like neighborhood watch programs can be implemented in your neighborhood to stop crime. With crime prevention grants from the government you can purchase items that educate and raise awareness of crime prevention and safety, with the goal of deterring crime. At community events or community meetings you can educate and organize people to deter crime. These grants usually range from $500 – $1000 per year.
Disaster planning grants can be used to prepare people for emergencies and to raise awareness. You can use the government funding to organize meetings and teach first aid safety or setup rally points during natural disasters. You might include training workshops to parents so that they can provide for and take care of their families during these disasters. Teaching people about personal food storage is also important and helps save lives during disasters. Training on these issues would be a great way to build your community.
Safety training workshops can also be very useful in your community. Anything from bike safety, fire safety, self-defense classes, swimming lessons, etc can help build a community and avoid accidents. These programs help protect citizens and increase their capability to handle situations that pose a threat to the health and safety of their neighbors. Often times a specialist will be needed to train community members. Government grant money can help fund these training programs so that community members don’t have to pay.
There are many places to look for these grants. The best place to start looking would the internet. One site that offers a free CD with a list of government grants can be found at http://www.grantgenerator.com. They will help you locate the grant you need and even help with the application process. These grants are usually on a first come first serve basis, so it is important to get going on these right away. The money is usually funded within a week or so which means you don’t have to wait long to get going. Don’t wait any longer! Get your community united together through any of these programs and let the government help you pay for them.

Funding to help teachers do what they do best-teach

I come from a family that puts a high value on education. Many of my extended family members are educators from elementary, all the way up to college professors, principals and other education administration. They live in various states from the west coast to the east coast. No matter where they live and teach, the one thing they have in common is that teaching (in most cases) does not pay well. I truly admire the fact that they have all done what they are passionate about regardless of the pay, and I would consider them all successful in their own right because they have chosen to do something they love.
Teachers can have such a large impact in our lives. I have had several teachers who have been such a positive influence in my life. I had some not so great teachers as well, which helps to single out those who are really good. The best teachers are those that really are passionate about education and helping children and young adults move in the right direction.
I have a son in middle school right now. Recently he came home with a note from a couple of his teachers asking for donations for much needed classroom supplies. These supplies were things that you would think would be provided by the school, however as the notes stated, the schools did not have enough money to fund certain essential classroom projects. Then I began thinking about the amount of time that he spends with teachers every day-almost 7 hours. It got me thinking. If these are the people spending the most time with our children, teaching the future leaders of our country, shouldn’t they be paid accordingly? Shouldn’t they have enough funds allocated to these important classroom studies?
Sadly, it seems when law makers are cutting budgets and trying to make thing balance out, it always seems to be the education dollars that get cut first. When are they going to figure out that this funding is the LAST thing they should be cutting?
The point of this is not to rant and rave about budget cuts and lack of funding because that is a never ending subject. I wanted to let people know that there is some help out there for educators in the form of Grants from the government and private organizations. They are a great way for teachers to get the extra money they need to be able to do some of these important projects, as well as stay on top of the ever changing world of education by getting on-going training and education themselves.
There are many different grant programs available. It can be confusing and time consuming to find and apply for them. There is software available that can cut the time down and show you how to prepare the application on http://www.grantgenerator.com it makes it so much easier. There is also some great resources and info on http://www.grants4teachers.com/ this site also has a link to http://www.schoolgrants.org/ and http://www.teacherfreebies.com/
This information has been very helpful for many educators in my family, so I wanted to share it. I hope it can help you or someone you know get the assistance they need.

Help for the Elderly in the form of Government Grants

I’ve been thinking a lot about elderly people lately and how difficult some things in their life must be. Maybe it’s because I am extremely close to my grandma and I see how hard certain things in her life are. Since my dad died at a young age, she was a large contributor to raising me and my brother. She sacrificed everything at the time to take care of us. So it’s a little difficult for me to see her in the stage she is at now at 91 being very dependent on other people. I always remember her being so strong and independent. Now, she relies on other people for even the smallest of things like running to the grocery store, or doing her laundry.
I realize, however, that my grandma made sacrifices for other people all her life and people relied on her on a daily basis for the majority of her life. She was a skilled and empathetic nurse who fervently attended to her patients and healed both their bodies and hearts. She spent a good amount of time on humanitarian and service missions all over the United States dedicating her time, money, and talents to those in need. And, of course she is the greatest mother, wife, grandmother, great grandmother etc.
So, I got to thinking that she is completely entitled to accepting help from others. Then I got thinking about all of the elderly people who are struggling financially. Luckily, my grandma is doing okay financially but every time I go to Walmart and see an elderly person working so hard at walmart when they can barely walk it makes me tear up. They are at the point in their life where they should be able to relax and take it easy.
All of these thoughts led me to want to do a little research to see if the government helps out the elderly at all financially. If an elderly person is struggling financially what can they really do? Go back to school? Work a physical job? Most places are weary to hire the elderly anyway. Not only that but most of the time it is not their fault if they are struggling financially. Some have lost their spouse or have had extensive medical treatment and social security is not that great.
I was so relieved to know that the government has thousands of grants out there specifically designed to help the elderly. The government offers housing assistance, rental assistance, medical assistance and assistance with so many other things for the elderly. The government does this in the form of free government grants. These free government grants enable the Elderly to have the lives that they deserve after helping us for so long.
So, if you are like me and have a special place in your heart for the elderly, you should tell them to look into some of the websites out there that teach you how to qualify for government grants for the elderly.