Please share to Facebook
Remembering Austin
  • Home
  • 12 Days
  • Pix
  • Stories
  • Memorials
  • NASW
  • Team Austin

The 12th Day of the 12 Days of Austin's Christmas, 2015

1/5/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cindi

i so wish i were making these donations in my name only and not in remembrance… but i cherish this bittersweet holiday custom because it brings me in close touch with austin and his beautiful mind and heart.  remembering him this way expands that beauty in the world in ways that i hope honor his memory and spirit.

in part because i love prolonging this communion with austin and know what an exacting person he was, and in part because there is so much need in the world, these decisions always take me the better part of a day, but at last in the quiet after christmas, here are my donations for this year, all with 4 star ratings from charity navigator and a couple of them with matching funds for end of year giving--two kinds of efficiency that i'm sure would please austin.
With $1000 i am making the following donations in austin's name:

Given austin's love of music and desire to share that love, i am again donating $200 to Education Through Music which offers music appreciation, the chance to learn to play an instrument, and the joyous possibilities that music brings to elementary and middle school children in New York City's underserved schools.

Sharing austin's commitment to social justice and the intertwined injustices of race and poverty and their exacerbated consequences this past year, i am donating $200 to the Equal Justice Initiative, which "provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners… and litigates on behalf of … those whose trials are marked by racial bias…"

In keeping with the concerns of social justice and the global consequences of violence and environmental disasters, which have worsened desperately over the last year i am making donations to two organizations that deal with the problems of refugees,

I am donating $200 to International Rescue Committee, which is a venerable organization of longstanding--spurred at the suggestion of Albert Einstein--that assists refugees in over 40 countries providing urgent care immediately following crises, and working to restore health, safety, education, wellbeing and power to people affected by conflict and disaster, and
$200 to American Refugee Committee, which is a newer organization working in a small number of countries focusing on providing opportunities and expertise to refugees and displaced people and the communities who host them. their projects help people rebuild their lives with dignity, security, health, and self-sufficiency, and they seem deeply concerned with social justice issues on the ground.

finally, this year i am making donations to two organizations that engage austin's passions with science and the environment,

I am donating $100 to the acadia center, which is research-oriented and works at the intersections of energy and climate change.  they examine power generation, land use, transportation at all scales and already have a track record of offering effective means to help mitigate environmental destruction and reduce carbon emissions.
​

I am again donating $100 to wild earth guardians, which protects and restores wild lands, life, and waterways in the US west, including many places in New Mexico, among them his beloved Jemez Mountains where they are part of a collaborative effort to restore riparian habitats and other projects intended to support resilience in the face of climate change.

i hope these donations are a fitting way to celebrate austin and in some small way further his presence in the world--a gift who keeps on giving.


Chloe
Thank you for including me again this year. In memory of Austin, I would like to donate $1000 to The International Rescue Committee which restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions of people forced to leave their homes by war, conflict, and natural disasters. The IRC is responding to the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East on all fronts, in Syria and neighboring countries, in Greece, and in the United States where refugees are being resettled.
http://www.rescue.org/


Heather
Hello, and merry Xmas to you all.
Thank you so much again for the opportunity to donate some funds to a charity in Austins name.
Since my son Gulliver was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic over a year ago it has been difficult to think of very much else. Gully's condition means that he has between 8-10 fingerprick blood tests a day and wears a pump 24 hours a day which administers a regular dosage of insulin so keep his blood sugar level and we input calculations for carbohydrate to work out his insulin with food. Over night we changed from a regular family (whatever that means), regular parents, son,daughter,sister,brother, to fulltime carers, diaticians, and psychologists. Working with school to try to give Gulliver a normal experience of childhood and to come across as it not being that big of a deal. We work hard to help Gully feel like he is no different to the other kids and with Edith to make her feel equally valued when a disproportionate amount of our time is spent focussing on Gulliver's needs.
Since diagnosis, we have joined together with other families who all have type 1 children, to talk together, have fun and most importantly normalise the the experience for Gulliver. We really have valued the power of support and this year I would like to donate my share to the diabetes UK mendip support group. Run by amazing volunteers who are all parents of children with type 1, they organise brilliant activities and much much much needed peer support.
I know that Austin's best friend John is T1 and it is great to see that being diabetic is something that he has managed successfully.  He has even managed to control the condition successfully in Japan, where counting the carbs will be very much more difficult. It fills me with hope that Gulliver will be able to follow his namesake and travel to farflung places, despite his condition.
Thanks and merry Xmas


0 Comments

The 11th Day of the 12 Days of Austin's Christmas, 2015

1/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Olga

Happy belated christmas.  Sorry I'm a bit late about the 12 days of Christmas charity- thank you so much for including me, it's an honour as always! I wanted to give 300$ to a charity for street dogs I work for- they rescue dogs from the streets and out of pounds in Spain and make sure they're adopted. At the moment I have a foster dog here who'd probably be dead if not for them. Their website, www.denia-dogs.de
I'd like to give the rest of the money to charities that help refugees, since there are so many of them here in Germany and I'd like to give the 700$ to the local support system in my town, since it seems to be doing a pretty good job as far as I can tell. You can either donate on the website ( https://fluechtlinge-willkommen-in-duesseldorf.de/de/geldspenden#Clownschools-for-Life-e-V-) or send them the money via bank. Thank you for doing this, and much love from overseas!

Aenea 

500 to Planned Parenthood which needs a great deal of support right now.

250 to From The Top, which supports young musicians.
250 to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which Austin and I frequented often.

Laura and Isobel
We know this is the last twelve minutes of Christmas, but we want you to know that we have been thinking about charities in Austin's honor. 
Isobel and I have been talking a lot about all the problems that face the world and about how best to counteract them.  In that spirit, she has chosen the following four charities:
Partners in Health:   $250
Innocence Project $250
American Refugee Committee $250
National Resources Defense Council $250



0 Comments

The 10th Day of the 12 Days of Austin's Christmas, 2015

1/3/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Sheila 
​

    You are wonderful people and the way you have chosen to honor Austin gives help to those that will benefit in the coming year.  I am  in favor of $500 to The Guide Dogs for the Blind; these dogs give mobility and hope to those who can not see.  I think Austin would feel that was a good thing;  perhaps a student will be able to attend college with the help of a companion who guides and protects them on their way.  Austin was so kind, that would be the way he would have helped, if he were here.  Always remembered, never forgotten.  Love,  Grandma Sheila


Claudia 
​
I love that you do this in honor of Austin. Please pick the charity that you want to give to in his name.

Merry Christmas and a Happy, peaceful New Year!!!!

On Claudia's behalf, we choose to services that feed and house the poor in Albuquerque because Austin often stopped to talk with and give money to the homeless in Chicago.
​
Roadrunner Food Bank  $ 500
Joy Junction $500


Kris

This is great. Thanks for the opportunity to help direct some money to good causes. I know a few folks who have worked at schools near Burma funded by Save the Children for $500. Here is the webpage that describes what they do. The folks I've talked to had very positive things to say about this.
​

1 Comment

The 9th Day of the 12 Days of Austin's Christmas, 2015

1/2/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Aidan

I would like to give $700 to NPR, and $300 to WNYC, which hosts Radiolab.

I think everyone who knew Austin knows that intellectual rigor was incredibly important to him. It is easy to slip into thinking that rigorous thought belongs only to academia or the sciences, but I know that Austin valued careful thinking in all areas of life. It shaped his interests, his priorities, and his relationships. It is a value that is important to me, as well, in large part because of him.

I am donating to NPR because its thoughtful coverage and wide variety of programming promotes careful and deliberate thought in its listeners, regardless of their interests.

I am donating to WNYC because they host Radiolab, which I have heard many people say was their first introduction to science as something fun and interesting. Though I'm sure Radiolab doesn't go into the level of detail Austin would have preferred, its narrative approach helps people who wouldn't have thought they were interested in science understand its importance. And I think he could get behind that.

0 Comments

The 8th Day of the 12 Days of Austin's Christmas, 2015

1/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
John

I am happy and honored to contribute to organizations that embody Austin's spirit. I've split mine into three this year:
​

Museum of Science and Industry at hyde park, 270$
Austin introduced me to this museum- encouraged me to go and then joined me (a most wonderful tour-guide). The museum does an excellent job engaging the public in all things scientific. I remember playing this odd game with Austin where two players attach probes to their heads and try to "relax" a ball towards your opponent- something about brain waves that I didn't quite grasp.  Austin lost miserably, probably because his mind was constantly racing around.


Chicago NPR WBEZ, 270$
Ever since I became indoctrinated to NPR while working in a fly lab at UoC (the only radio station all members could agree to listen to), I've continued to tune into NPR WBEZ while conducting research from Japan. I enjoy all their programs, even the mundane traffic reports covering areas Austin and I walked and biked and bused through. I think this station does a good job covering local and global news, as well as matters of science and technology. The segment "curious city" always reminds me of Austin's method of Chicago-exploration: ambling, day-long walks that wound through many an unexplored nook or cranny.

Spring Initiative, 460$
This organization aims to improve the education and overall wellbeing of children (and their families) in the impoverished town of Clarksdale, MS. My sister and brother are deeply involved with the organization and know that the money is going directly to the local kids the program assists. I'm hoping that the 490 will encompass "healthy and fresh foods" and "educational materials", two things that Austin approved of (food and education). I visited their program with my family and saw the impact that the instructors could have on children underexposed to so many things that brought joy to Austin, like reading, science, and even hiking around outdoors and eating delicious healthy foods- though I don't think they have New Mexico tortillas or green chiles!

Love and hugs to you all,
John

0 Comments

    Author

    This page details the directed and direct giving in Austin's honor. It starts with the 12 Days of Christmas

    Archives

    December 2017
    January 2016
    December 2015
    December 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    Charity

    RSS Feed

Austin Hudson-Lapore, we miss him so much