The Angel Fund is still around. All you need to do is contact Admin and nominate someone to receive a gift from it. A committee will decide whether or not to approve the nomination. I don't know if they do anything other than provide free subscriptions for those who are in need. See Dave's post in the below thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/429067/
Wanted to say goodbye
But Dave is no longer associated here.. I wonder what is being done now?
I vote for Haystack anyway.. for our group anyway... I think it's awesome.
Although Dave is no longer here, the Garden Angel Fund is still being administered by Admin.
Thank you.
You're very welcome!
That is fine with me, my only concern is I don't want anyone left out because they don't meet their criteria...I would really like to hear from the rest of you here...Hay
Nothing against DG, but I'd rather they didn't get to decide who our family and friends are on this forum. I don't even know what their criteria is, suppose I could look it up, but like what you've come up with.
My vote is still with Haystack.
Quote from AnnieBBB :
Nothing against DG, but I'd rather they didn't get to decide who our family and friends are on this forum. I don't even know what their criteria is, suppose I could look it up, but like what you've come up with.
The committee doesn't decide who your friends are :-) At any time, anyone can pay another member's subscription - everyone has the option to purchase a gift subscription for a friend on your member page.
Over the years, there have been a few (and only a few) members who were not given "Garden Angel" subscriptions. Why? Well, it was pretty clear from their posts that they had the funds to buy expensive plants, take nice vacations, etc., but every year they always seemed to come up short when their subscription was about to expire.
That's why there's a committee - that way no one member is placed in the awkward position of having to say "no" to a fellow member who is angling for a freebie. Haystack, please use the "Contact Us" link to discuss.
Quote from AnnieBBB :
We all trust you, Hay. I seem to remember you offering to have an "operation" not long ago if a lady purchased some really expensive chickens...? If you don't want to do it, that is another story and understandable. I really don't care who takes care of it, as long as we don't lose any one from this forum.
Does our vote count???? well if it does, we vote for Mr Haystack....
You have to be back a week before you can vote...LOL...Hay
Whatever you guys decide will be fine with me. It may be quite a while before I am able to contribute but I will do my best as soon as I can.
Cajun, you have already contributed to this forum over and over. This is not just about money, your encouragement, your slay me statements and your loving friendship is something money can't buy. There are as many ways as there are people here to contribute. I would defy anyone to find a book anywhere that could communicate the loving, humorus, and educational information that has been contributed by the good people of this forum. Just relax and enjoy...OK...I know everyone else here feels the same...Hay
Thank you for your kindness. This is a wonderful place and I would like to help others enjoy it too. I know God will bless me to give at some point.
Quote from Terry :
Over the years, there have been a few (and only a few) members who were not given "Garden Angel" subscriptions. Why? Well, it was pretty clear from their posts that they had the funds to buy expensive plants, take nice vacations, etc., but every year they always seemed to come up short when their subscription was about to expire.
That's why there's a committee - that way no one member is placed in the awkward position of having to say "no" to a fellow member who is angling for a freebie. Haystack, please use the "Contact Us" link to discuss.
That's why I'd like our friends on forum to donate if/when they can and Haystack take care of it. If someone needs help we aren't going to go back and read through their old posts and decide they spent their money foolishly. If someone on this forum were able to go to Europe on vacation, or buy $500 hatching eggs, they would be honest and not ask for help they didn't need. The people on this forum have always been honest and are always giving of their time, experience, friendship and emotional support. That's just my lousy .02 cents.
Annie, we do understand where you're coming from. But we've all known or heard of people who became targets of family, friends, and even strangers when it came to light they had some money available. On a smaller scale, the same thing will happen here. I don't think Haystack or any of the forum regulars wants that.
The committee is comprised of longtime DG members who are extremely fair and compassionate. They don't turn people away who need help, and we handle their requests with discretion and dignity. In the rare case we do turn someone down, no one has to feel like the "bad guy" because the committee members are not mentioned by name.
You may not think this could happen, but what if you wanted someone to get a subscription, and Haystack felt it was unwise to give them one? Would you want that conflict among friends? (It may not seem possible, but I can assure you from ten years of working as an admin here, those situations can and do arise.)
We put the Garden Angel fund in place back in 2001, and I'm sorry if some of you were not aware of it earlier (it looks like faeden did try to raise the flag in this thread :-) Let's let it do what it has been doing well for a decade.
I don't want to put Haystack, or anyone else on this forum, in an uncomfortable situation. I'll wait to see what others think about it.
It's hard to agree with admin, but I can see their point. It's hard to see both sides of a situation... and make a decision.
Although I would trust Haystack with my life, that's not the issue... Also, it's a lot of responsibility for one person to take on.. I know admin has seen drama erupt from the middle of nowhere in a totally harmonious atmosphere.. and as far as I've seen, they have been amazing at handling it... where as, personally, ? LOL I am too emotional and get too personally involved. I would want no part of any drama that arises from our angel fund idea.
If I thought for a minute that this awesome idea we all have has put undue stress on anyone, it would defeat the purpose... and although none of us can imagine a bad situation coming from what we see as a wonderful thing.. you have to admit that admin has the experience and can recognize a recipe for disaster where we can't.
So it sounds like I'm on the side of admin... which was not intended... it's just what came from my ramblings.. :)
You know I for one was blessed buy someone that paid for another year for me and the past few months not being around has been not happy times.. I will say to who ever that blessed us (Billy is Blessed with me) Thank you...
Just so you all know not only do I get wonderful tips, Billy is starting to learn to read and guess what he reads...LOL Daves Garden and his friends posts.. He does not understand much right now, but there will come a day he will...
Very well said, ZZ. I'm feeling pretty wishy washy and stressed these days so I'm just going to go with the flow on this one.
Personally I have no problem with ADMIN handling it...Nor do I feel offended at all. I just did not want my friends imbarrassed or going away silently due to the lack of monies for a subscription...Thanks Terry and I would like it if you would post it on the poultry forum so our members knew how to access the Angel fund...Haystack
Terry I sent you a message thru the "Contact Us" but you never got back to me to discuss it. My question is if you have to nominate someone to receive the subscription, how are we to know when someone needs the help? That has been part of the problem...Best Regards...Haystack
Thanks Haystack...that was my question also. .......and what if someone would like to donate but cant donate the whole $20.00?
I would like to see a thread started also, so we can get answers to our questions and have somewhere to send people, and get general info on it..
I have replied to Haystack's questions. We don't prominently advertise this program, because of the potential for abuse. However, many of our longtime members know about it and will steer people in the right direction, as faeden did in this thread. And each of us has the ability to give a gift subscription (either a two-month or full year) at any time to any other member.
http://davesgarden.com/faq/home/#119 has information on
how to buy a subscription for someone else. I have done this
anonymously a number of times. A few people can always
get together via d-mail and chip in to pay for a subscription for
a friend in need.
I agree with Terry that the Angel Fund is not something that
needs to be "promoted". It's there for those in real need and anyone
can contact Admin by d-mail and make a request on behalf of
someone or for themselves. It's not a right but a compassionate
program sustained (I believe) by donations from other members
and has always been well managed by Admin.
You're all very kindhearted people.
Again, very wise! Thank you both.
Thanks June: Well said and well received...Haystack
Sounds like a great bunch..I will help as well , littleacre
Hey littleacre we are neighbors I live in Bridgewater