Nancy A. Herrin Foundation

Founder Tanisha L. Herrin has free copies of her latest book titled "Fighting the Blues as a Black Woman: How I Survived Suicidal Depression" which is available in paperback and eBook formats.  For each free book that is downloaded or requested by mail, one dollar will be donated via the Nancy A. Herrin Foundation to an Ohio based mental health organization.  Free book requests can be sent through our contact page either online or via our mailing address. Requests can also be sent directly to the author via her website.

There are different kinds of people around us, out of which many out there are willing to help the needy. Having to contribute in whichever way you can to charitable organizations is the best option you can avail yourself. There could be nothing else more joyful than having to make a needy person happy. Contributing does not just mean by giving money, it could also be through food, clothes or just anything that you think will come of use by the needy. Normally many people prefer contributing money since they give these charities their option of having to spend on anything that will be useful.

However, as opposed to this many critics say that charities do not serve that purpose, again, this is very debatable, and as much as this is said, nobody can ever deny the significance of charities.  As a matter of fact, there are actually very few people around the world who are actually getting the help from the generosity of rich people. Having to contribute to these charities will indeed give you satisfaction and joy by just knowing that a small act of yours has probably helped many people by means of food, shelter and clothing.

Other than for many other benefits that are an outcome from contributing to charitable organizations, besides doing it out of goodness since you know there are millions other people who are needy, one may also want to get a tax deduction, which comes along with such donations. However, irrespective of what the benefit is it is very important to donate.

One of the most popular and common reason with regard to donating is the tax deduction. There could be no shame with wanting a tax deduction; this could be claimed for both donating items as well as monetary donations. This deduction of tax is entirely dependent on how valuable the item you have donated is. If the item is more valuable, you can all more write this off on the taxes you will pay.

These are not just the only benefits of contributing to charitable organizations, if you are having your attic or closer cleaned out and you do not want to go through the trouble of holding any sale you could simply contribute these things to charity. It is not sensible to throw out anything that is perfect enough instead you could donate these to the people who are less fortunate.

Having to donate in a charitable organization that has given you assistance could be the best way you can show how much you appreciate. Nobody actually knows how important and helpful these organizations are unless they hear it from a former client. You are also aware of how much the people need such services, and there could be no other better way than to donate whatever within your means to this charity.

Even if you have to make some sort of donation or contribution in memory of a loved person could be a great way to show your respect and honor their life.  You could pick out the organization that has really touched the person and is close to him.

Whether you have been personally diagnosed with brain cancer or if you know someone who has, you will probably find yourself searching for statistics on the disease to better understand it.  While new findings in research continue to add a shimmer of outcome for treatment, brain cancer can often come with a dismal prognosis.  Being aware of some of the recent statistics will help you understand a little more about this volatile disease.

• Children under 20 years old account for 7 percent of reported primary brain tumors.
• Over 575 people per day are diagnosed with brain cancer in the United States.
• After leukemia, brain cancer is the most common cause of death in children under 20 years old.
• It is estimated that 35 percent of adults who have a CNS or primary malignant brain tumor will live approximately 5 years.
• Brain tumors are the second leading cancer-related deaths in males between 21 and 39 and the fifth leading cause in females of the same age.
• At the end of 2010, there were more than 600,000 individuals in the United States with primary brain cancer tumors and 28,000 were children under 20 years old.
• More knowledge concerning brain cancer has been learned in the past 10 years than the previous 100 years combined.
• Metastatic brain tumors, which are those that spread from cancer at other parts of the body are the most common seen brain tumors.  Between 10 and 15 percent of individuals with other forms of cancer will develop these types of tumors.
• Brain cancer in children offers a higher survival rate.  Nearly 69 percent will survive but they are often plagued with long-term adverse health effects.
• Males have approximately a 1 in 166 chance of having a primary brain tumor with only a 50 percent survival rate while females have a 1 in 154 lifetime risk and a 41 percent chance for survival.
• Glioma tumors make up 44.4 percent of all tumors while meningiomas account for 27.4 percent.  The remaining percentage is split between various other forms.
• The 5 year survival rate with primary malignant brain tumors in ages 0 – 19 is 63.1 percent, ages 20 – 44 is 50.4 percent, ages 45 – 64 is 14.2 percent and above 65 drops down to 4.9 percent.
• Approximately 1 in 20 individuals will need to have an operation to remove dead tissue after treatment.
• The median age for death caused by brain cancer has dropped from 64 down to 55 years of age.
• When radiation is combined with temozolomide for treatment in brain cancer patients with glioblastomas, the two-year survival rate jumps from 10 percent up to 25 percent.
• In males, lung cancer is the leading cause of brain metastases while in women, breast cancer is primarily to blame.
• The survival rate for stage 4 brain cancer is 24 percent for 5 years and 10 percent for 10 years.
• Individuals between the ages of 20 and 29 have the highest chance for stage 4 brain cancer survival at 64 percent.
• Thanks to modern technology, 8 out of 10 children diagnosed with brain cancer will live longer than 5 years and many will see adulthood.
• Brain cancer with an unknown primary origin accounts for 2.6 percent of cancers diagnosed in America and 2.9 percent worldwide.

A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the way the brain works.  A learning disorder or disability does not affect intelligence.  Individuals with learning disabilities are as smart as or smarter than their peers.  The condition can affect children and adults alike.  The disorder affects the way the brain communicates, receives, and processes information, and individuals affected by a learning disability have difficulty processing information that they see and hear because the brain processes the information in a number of different ways.  A learning disability does not affect an individual’s ability to work hard or achieve success.  There is no way to cure a learning disability, but there are innovative interventions and support groups that provide assistance.

What are the facts on learning disabilities?

• According to the National Institutions of Health, one in seven Americans has a learning disability, meaning fifteen percent of the population has some type of learning disability. 

• It is a known fact that learning disabilities run in families.

• Nearly 80% of children affected by learning disabilities have reading problems.  Language skills and basic reading are the most common problems.

• It is possible for attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to affect an individual at the same time as a learning disability, but these disorders are not one in the same.

• Gifted children may also have learning disabilities despite their IQ score of 140 and above.

What are a few common types of learning disabilities?

Learning Disabilities affect individuals in varying ways, but there are common conditions that are universal.

• Auditory Processing Disorder affects an individual’s ability to distinguish between differences in sounds.  The disorder causes problems in reading comprehension, language, and reading skills.

• Dyscalculia affects math skills.  Those affected by this type of disability experience problems using money, understanding time, and completing mathematical problems.

• Dysgraphia refers to a difficulty with writing, which causes problems with spelling, organizing ideas, and handwriting.

• Dyslexia poses a problem with properly processing language.  Individuals have trouble in the areas of speaking, writing, reading, and spelling appropriately.

• Dyspraxia is a sensory integration disorder that affects fine motor skills.  Difficulty with balance, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity are common problems individuals may experience. 

• Visual Processing Disorder creates difficulty with interpreting visual information correctly.  Common problems individuals experience occur with symbols, reading, maps, math, pictures, and charts.

What is the solution for learning disabilities?

A learning disability is a lifelong issue, but it does not have to hinder a person’s life.  The disability only affects the way an individual learns, not their intelligence. The following are a few basic solutions to assist with learning disabilities:

• Solicit the appropriate intervention as early as possible

• Find a support groups that provides a positive image of your condition

• Focus on learning strengths, not weaknesses

• Get educated on learning disabilities and advocate for the cause

Many famous people have learning disabilities, including Michael Phelps, Cher, Tommy Hilfiger, Whoopi Goldberg, and Vince Vaughn.  Learning disabilities did not stop any of these individuals from meeting success in their lives.  Getting educated on learning disabilities and supporting organizations that support learning disabilities is the most important step toward success.  Become an advocate so that others are equally informed.

A volunteer is someone that offers their services willingly and without pay.  Volunteers are crucial in local communities as it promotes a healthy community.  Often times, there are many organization extending efforts to help the disadvantaged in the community and without volunteers they would not be able to provide their services.  Giving hope to others is a life changing experience and when people volunteer and work together they are making a difference to those that are in need, often times strengthening the individuals and putting faith back in their lives due to the caring they are receiving. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to change lives. 

Likely you have seen those in your local community that are in need.  Whether they are on the streets, or a family that is struggling, perhaps a home within the community may be decaying and the family has no means to support the repairs needed to the home.  These are all individuals within the community that are depending on volunteers to help them in their critical time of need.  Giving your time to the community and putting something into the community as a volunteer is important.  When it boils down to it, there are not that many of us that actually give back in life.  Giving your time as a volunteer is for the improvement of someone else that is less fortunate is a humanitarian cause and a cause that takes the effort of each of us.  

Volunteering is also a means of improving your own life.  It will make you feel alive and driven.   Whether you choose to volunteer at your local hospital or health clinic, an organization like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a your local church organization or charity, a homeless shelter, the Salvation Army or your local school, these are all institutions that are within your community and depend on the help of volunteers. 

Reasons to Get Involved:

It is self-satisfying.  There is a pride and satisfaction that volunteers experience when helping others.  When you truly believe in the volunteer work you are doing, then the fulfillment is endless.

It promotes a healthy community.  Volunteering within the community is improving the community and helps it to succeed as a whole.  Lives within the community are better and the community becomes a healthy community working together.

It can strengthen your family.  Volunteering as a family can bring your family closer together and strengthen the bond in which you share.

Even if you choose to volunteer just once a year, this will change the lives of others.  However, get in the habit of offering a helping hand.  Consider volunteering your time or shopping two for one specials and giving half of the purchase to the local food kitchen within the community.  Your life will be improved and you will have rewards that are immeasurable.  Involvement is necessary and volunteering is a way to give back in life.

Mental health problems are experienced by up to one in four people in the world at some point in their lives. This is a huge proportion of the global population and can affect people in many different ways.

People with mental health issues can be impacted in different ways with some having their lives severely disrupted or worse still, destroyed.  In fact the problem can be potentially life threatening for the more serious cases, not just to the sufferer, but also to people who come into contact with them.

Therefore underestimating the importance of mental health issues is a big risk in society that needs to be avoided at all costs. One of the great difficulties in tackling the issue of mental health is the stigma attached to it. Many people with a mental health problem do not want other people to know about it.

Research was done recently by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) into the mental health of students in the United States. It found that some 13 percent of college students had been diagnosed with a mental health issue. What’s more 10 percent of college students have a friend who attempted suicide during the 2009/10 college year.

Anxieties and stresses needs to be recognized and dealt with at an early age before the illness is allowed to fester. It cannot be allowed to become so bad that the sufferer contemplates taking their own life. Therefore, educating people on what signs to look out for is vitally important. They may include:

• Showing signs of depression

• Showing signs of sadness and hopelessness

• Loss of interest in normal activities

• Loss of energy

• Changes in appetite or weight

• Changes in behavior

• Sleep patterns disturbed

• Making negative comments about themselves

This isn’t an all-inclusive list but if there are signs of any significant changes in behavior patterns, it is always best to ask someone about it. The NIMH has some very useful resources and there are other helpful organizations to seek advice from.

Suicide isn’t always an option for mental health sufferers but there can be some other damaging methods taken to deal with their problems. This can include drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, drug taking or eating disorders.

By way of support via Inspire Creations in Akron, OH the foundation will have special bookmarkers for sale with proceeds to benefit charities around Ohio.

Preview current bookmark designs and ideas at the Inspire Creations website. Have an idea for a bookmark or would you like to suggest a charity to benefit from this fundraiser? Send us an email at info@nancyherrinfoundation.org!

Books are our best friends. We have heard this phrase since our childhood and it can be quite true.

Reading adds so much to one’s life. It opens the doors to wisdom, tranquility, intelligence, learning and friendship too. It keeps a person addicted to a single book for hours and hours. Reading keeps you captivated, it drags you into drama and it is a great way of learning as well!

Let’s look at some of the reasons why reading can be so much fun.

Friendships

When you interact with people who are reading the same kinds of books as you are, friendships develop and they became stronger as time passes. You can discuss stories with your friends and suggest each other different books, learn from the stories and share exciting stories as well!

Make plans for which book will be your next one. Tell each other a little summary of the book but don’t ruin the book by telling them the ending. Keep it a surprise! It will augment enthusiasm and you will read more and more books to compete with your friends.

Learning

A good book entails its reader till the end, keeping you dedicated to read each and every tiny detail carefully so that you can learn a lot. Reading is a great way of learning. It has been proved by scientific research that what we read in a book stays in our mind for a longer time than what we hear from others. Thus, reading is a great way to learn about this world, cultures, traditions, and the colors of nature, etc.

Exciting

Books can be so exciting and exhilarating that they keep you glued to them for entire day! Mysteries such as Sherlock Homes, Famous Five, Secret Seven; and thrillers such as Robin Hood, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter etc keep you fascinated for hours and days.

You are so mesmerized by the world created by the authors that you forget what is happening around! Reading can be so entertaining and enjoyable that most people prefer books over talking on the phone with friends or watching television.

Books are your companions everywhere. You can read a book in a garden, on a long train or plane ride, or you can even take them along with you on picnics. They will entertain you everywhere! Books keep you motivated and will never let you get bored if you choose the kind of book you like! Books are available in a vast variety; fiction, non-fiction, historical, religious, cultural and what not! You can choose what ever kind you like.

In addition, you can choose from a wide variety of magazines out there! Magazines are easy to carry and do not take much time to finish either. Or you can only read the section you love in there and leave the rest out! People who think that books take a long time to finish and they don’t have that much time can read magazines too. There are fashion magazines, cooking magazines, children magazines and what not.

So grab the best book or magazine out there and have fun reading!