Affinity4 Community Blog

After two devastating natural disasters this month, a recent AP article discusses how Americans are experiencing what is being called “disaster fatigue”. This is similar to what charities call “donor fatigue”. Donor fatigue is a drop in charitable giving and it can occur for a number of reasons. The most touted reason in recent months has been the shaky economy.

“Disaster fatigue” however, is a newly coined term used for the decrease in giving by Americans for natural disasters because there have been so many recently. First there was the devastating cyclone in Myanmar with a death toll of 77,738 people (as of 5/27)¹ with an additional 55,917 people still missing¹. A little over a week later came the earthquake in China that now has an estimated death toll of over 68,000 people¹, and the aftershocks of this disaster still haven’t ended. Just this week China experienced two aftershocks that injured 63 people and destroyed over 400,000 homes². It seems like there is no end to these devastating events, which is what causes the so-called “disaster fatigue”. When the 2nd and 3rd large disasters come around, people think ‘I just gave money to an international disaster’ so they don’t donate to each one separately. These two recent catastrophes have gathered a significantly lower amount of charitable donations from Americans than previous natural disasters such as the Tsunami in Asia back in 2004.

Although there has been a decrease in giving for these recent disasters, Americans have donated $12.2 million so far to help the victims of the Myanmar cyclone, and that is no small number. Here at Affinity4 we think our customers are proof of how willing Americans are to contribute to helping others in our world. Thank you to all of our caring customers, because of you we have been able to donate over $75 million to charities worldwide. If you would like to help aid the victims of these recent disasters, please click here and you will be able to select where you would like your donation to go.

Sources:
¹ Associated Press
² CNN

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According to a recent survey released by AAA, the number of Americans traveling over 50 miles from home over Memorial Day Weekend should fall by about 1% from last year. Honestly, I can’t believe it’s only dropping by 1%! Gas prices are now up to $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded gas (national average as of today). Last year over Memorial Day Weekend, the price of gas was $3.11, so in one year there has been a 22% increase in the price of gas.

Despite the soaring prices, the overall demand for gas in the U.S. has not decreased significantly. Americans have been cutting back in other areas instead. Many families are cutting back on going out to eat, trips to the movies and family vacations. For others, the gas prices even mean cutting back on clothing and grocery budgets. Many of us, experts included, are left wondering how high do the prices have to go before the demand for gas will decrease? I don’t have an answer for that, but I know many people who are trying to cut back on gas by carpooling, running errands all at one time and using public transportation.

Several states (West Virginia and Arizona are examples) are considering switching to a 4 day work week and urging employers across their states to do so as well. It is estimated that a switch like this nation-wide would cut gas consumption by 20% and decrease pollution at the same time.

Back to the question of travel…. I will be staying here at home this Memorial Day Weekend. Are any of you cancelling trips due to the rising gas prices? Please share your story on how cost of gas is affecting you and your family, or any tips you have on how to save money!

Happy Memorial Day!

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Today Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary! Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948. Before that date, Israel had been under British control based on a League of Nations mandate.  Israel is a parliamentary democracy with a population of just over 7 million people.

In celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is organizing a group trip to the Holy Land.  The goal of this trip is to provide ACLJ supporters with the chance to show their support for Israel by actually traveling there! The 11 day trip will depart from New York June 17th and return on June 27th.

Travelers, including ACLJ Chief Counsel, Jay Sekulow, will visit biblical and historical sites and stay in both Jerusalem and Haifa. Travelers will have the opportunity to spend time with Israeli military leaders, members of the Israeli Parliament and other Middle East experts. Each day on the trip has its own theme such as “Connecting to the Land” and “Connecting to Christian Jerusalem.”  After the trip, there are optional extension trips to Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and even Greece.

The ACLJ has also drawn up a “Proclamation of Solidarity” with Israel which can be signed on their website. Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow will personally deliver this proclamation to Israeli officials. To find out more about this exciting trip visit the ACLJ Group IST page.  If any of you are planning on going, we would love to hear from you!

Happy Independence Day, Israel!

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A recent article sent out by LifeNews.com stated that a group of Swiss experts are arguing that plants deserve the right to life and that killing them is morally wrong except when it comes to saving humans. And in a report on “the dignity of the creature in the plant world”, the federal Ethics Committee on non-human Gene Technology condemned the decapitation of flowers without reason. While this may baffle many, it truly doesn’t surprise me. It is unfortunate that we reside in a world that fights so strongly for the supposed “good of all people” without regard to God’s law for the people. Activists get so caught up in their “rights issues” that they totally disregard the effect that these rights are imposing on society. Homosexual marriage, abortion, euthanasia, animal cloning, animal rights…..and now the right to life of plants….

I will have to agree with bioethicist Wesley Smith when he stated that the accelerating rejection of Judeo-Christian worldview, which upholds the unique dignity and moral worth of human beings, is driving us crazy. And so while a baby in the womb should have no rights to life, it is now being suggested that the roses in our flowerbeds should? Crazy… to say the least! To read the original article click here.

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This past Monday, Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House Church in Dallas, wrote a response to the recent media criticism of the African American church. His response was published in the commentary section of CNN.com.

In the article, Bishop Jakes says that the media criticism detracts from a focus on the mission of the church and instead emphasizes divisions within the church.  Bishop Jakes also discusses how the church he reads about in the media is not the one he has experienced personally throughout his life. He expresses a desire shared by many, that the current ethnic divisions in the church will one day disappear and that segregated worship will become a thing of the past. As he writes in the article “there is more to unite us than to divide us.”

Bishop Jakes’ own church, The Potter’s House, is a nondenominational, multiracial church with members from at least 20 different nationalities. Although Bishop Jakes does not endorse any political candidates, he does mention how our country is in need of a strong leader that can unite people from all walks of life. It will be interesting to observe over the months leading up to the presidential election whether the candidates will do more to unite us or to divide us with their increasingly partisan messages. To read Bishop Jakes’ article, click here.

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As many of you may know, Suffolk, Virginia, was hit by an EF3 tornado last week. An EF3 classification means that the tornado had winds up to 150mph. Suffolk is only minutes away from Affinity4’s headquarters in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, so this hit close to home for all of us here at Affinity4.

Our entire community breathed a collective sigh of relief when the media confirmed that there were no fatalities. Still, over 200 people were injured, 407 homes were damaged and 145 homes were condemned. Hundreds lost their homes and all of their belongings. The total damage was estimated to be about $30 million.

Still, we have a lot to be thankful for. Despite all of the losses, it is nothing short of a miracle that our community did not suffer any deaths as a result of the storm. It has been a week since the tornado struck and many local residents and organizations have come together to help provide shelter, food and necessities for the victims of the tornado.

Luckily, none of our employees were hit by the storm, but several of us have friends who no longer have homes. One Affinity4 employee helped out by sharing her home with four children who attend school with her own children, others donated money. There are many other stories of generosity being told and we are very proud and thankful that our community has come together to help those in need. If you would like to help the victims of this storm please visit the Suffolk Red Cross website. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by this disaster.

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