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Kansas City News Today Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City. |
KANSAS CITY NEWS TODAY - Friday, January 15, 2010  Verizon Wireless Advances $2.98 Million in Donations from Its Customers to Red Cross KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), January 15, 2010 - Verizon Wireless today transmitted $2,987,560 to the American Red Cross, representing dollars pledged by texting customers to the Red Cross relief effort for Haiti. This represents donations made by Verizon Wireless customers for the first two days of the campaign from 12:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 13 through 2 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 15. As the outpouring of support continues from wireless users texting HAITI to 90999, the company said it would continue to advance funds pledged by Verizon Wireless customers and provide dollars to the Red Cross outside normal operation procedures. In a statement, Verizon Wireless president and CEO Lowell McAdam said, "President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have challenged the American people to donate to the Red Cross relief effort, and companies like Verizon need to step up to the plate. Time is of the essence, and it makes sense for us to toss aside our normal financial processes to get money where it can do the most good, in the fastest way possible." In a phone interview with Kansas City Front Page, Brenda Hill, spokesperson for the Verizon Wireless Kansas/Missouri Region, said that the giving by mobile was pretty amazing. "I found out about this effort as a result of a question from a customer in Columbia, MO. We are also getting a lot of pickup on Twitter and the other social networking sites that are spreading the word about this. This is the largest mobile giving that has happened in such a short time," said Hill. In less than three days since the earthquake devastated Haiti, more than 300,000 Verizon Wireless customers have texted HAITI to 90999, nearing $3 million in donations to the Red Cross relief effort. From the start of the campaign, as of 2 p.m. EST on Friday, the customers of all U.S. wireless companies had pledged more than $9 million to this one relief fund. Hundreds of American charities have registered text messaging short-codes, whereby consumers can text donations. The mobile giving process can take between 60 and 90 days from the time a wireless user texts a donation and when a charity receives the donation. Verizon Wireless' action today bypasses the normal process used to get donations paid to charities, which helps to ensure that the payments are complete and accurate. Donations will get to the Red Cross quickly, given the humanitarian crisis at hand. To ensure fiscal accountability and responsibility, these operational processes will remain in place for all mobile giving efforts, with the exception of the Red Cross' HAITI on 90999 effort. The company noted the work of valued and trusted partners in implementing mobile giving, all of which agreed to bend rules and bypass regular procedures to move the money to the Red Cross quickly: Mobile Messenger, mGive Foundation and Mobile Accord. CEO McAdam singled out The Mobile Giving Foundation and its founder Jim Manis for support of the effort. "Jim Manis is a visionary who has fought to unharness the incredible power of mobile technology with our better instincts. Though many deserve credit for the success of this effort to help in the Haiti relief, it all started with Jim's vision." Employers Given Priority for Economic Development KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), January 11, 2010 - Helping existing Missouri businesses grow is the fastest and most reliable way to create jobs and jumpstart the state's economy, Gov. Jay Nixon said during tours of major employers in Kansas City and Springfield. Accomplishing that goal is what the Governor's new "Missouri First" initiative is all about. Under Missouri First, the state will retool its economic incentive programs to provide an additional incentive to companies that already are located and employ workers in the Show-Me State and are considering expansion. Currently, Missouri's economic tools make no distinction between a long-time Missouri employer and an out-of-state company considering relocation. Gov. Nixon said acknowledging and rewarding the loyalty of existing Missouri employers is of paramount importance for economic growth. "As we look for ways to create jobs and transform our economy, it's critical that we acknowledge and support businesses that are already making a difference by employing folks here in Missouri," Gov. Nixon said. "My administration will continue to be absolutely relentless in competing to bring new jobs and new investment to our state, but we're going to be equally driven to help our existing Missouri businesses create jobs. By retooling these economic incentives to focus on growing our existing businesses, as well as attracting new companies, we'll be positioning Missouri to prosper in the years to come." Missouri First is the third major component of Gov. Nixon's comprehensive jobs package for 2010. The package also includes the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA), which will create a dedicated fund to help attract and grow high-tech businesses in the state, and Training for Tomorrow, an initiative that will invest $12 million in educating Missourians for in-demand careers at Missouri's community colleges. Here's how Missouri First will work: Under current law, businesses currently are eligible to apply for a variety of state economic incentives if they plan to either expand operations within Missouri or relocate from another state. These incentives are subject to a specific cap per business per year, with no distinction between existing Missouri employers and out-of-state businesses. In fact, some out-of-state businesses could be eligible for larger overall incentives than existing Missouri businesses because of additional economic tools that are available to help companies relocate to the state. Such additional incentives often help defray the costs of constructing roads and other major infrastructure items that are necessary to prepare property for a business' relocation. Missouri First would change the law regulating certain incentives to authorize the Department of Economic Development to provide additional resources to existing businesses that are considering expansions in the state. Specifically, the Department would be allowed to increase the incentive cap for businesses that have had a presence in Missouri for at least five years. The Department would be able to increase the cap by up to 2 percent of the total incentive amount for each five-year increment the company has been located in Missouri - up to 10 percent of the total incentive for companies that have been in Missouri for 25 years or more. Missouri First would apply to a number of state economic incentive programs, including Quality Jobs and Enhanced Enterprise Zone, as well the New Job Training, Retained Job Training, and Customized Training programs. While this initiative will provide additional resources to existing Missouri businesses, it will not increase the overall size of any economic incentive programs. In addition to a per-business cap on the amount any one company can receive, each state economic incentive program also is subject to an overall per-year cap. Missouri First will allow the Department of Economic Development to increase the per-business cap in some cases, but the overall per-year caps remain unchanged. "All across our state, our economy is driven by businesses that have employed Missourians for years, if not for generations," Gov. Nixon said. "These businesses have been a vital part of Missouri's past, and we must make sure they continue to be an integral part of our future. By providing these additional incentives for growth, we'll help these loyal Missouri businesses expand and create the jobs of tomorrow. Together, we'll get Missourians back to work and turn this economy around." The Missouri First legislation will be sponsored in the Senate by State Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington) and in the House by State Rep. Tim Flook (R-Liberty) and State Rep. Sam Komo (D-House Springs). Helping Others in 2010 Leads New Year's Resolutions KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), January 7, 2010 - Pledges to lose weight or pay off debts typically find a way into conversations this time of year, as the anticipation of New Year's resolutions approaches. However, according to a study from Disney Parks and HandsOn Network, 2010 may see a surge of helping hands and giving hearts, as more families resolve to volunteer. The survey, conducted by New York-based Kelton Research Nov. 18-23, 2009, found that 59 percent of Americans plan to volunteer in 2010. Interestingly, more women than men (62 percent vs. 54 percent) include volunteering as a goal for next year. Survey results also showed that 41 percent of Americans would rather pledge to help others, such as volunteering, than resolve to do something that is purely self-serving. In fact, when asked what they anticipate they could accomplish in 2010, 52 percent of Americans surveyed identified spending more time together, followed by 30 percent who selected volunteering as foreseeable goals. HandsOn Network, the nation's largest volunteer network, is working with Disney to help make 2010 the ideal year to realize those goals and make volunteering a family resolution. Beginning on Jan 1, 2010, Disney Parks officially launches "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day," a first-of-its-kind initiative with the help of HandsOn Network. Through the program, Disney Parks hopes to inspire 1 million people to perform a day of volunteer service for a participating organization in 2010 by giving them a free, one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park. Families are encouraged to visit www.DisneyParks.com to research and sign up for a volunteer opportunity in their local community. "Disney Parks, through HandsOn Network, is making it easy for volunteers of all ages to find an organization in need," said Maggie Jones Patton, executive director of Youth HandsOn Network, the youth activating arm of HON. "There has never been a better time to start a new tradition of volunteering together as Disney Parks celebrates good deeds with a free Disney theme park ticket." A Family That Volunteers Together ... The Kelton Research survey also found that more parents than single adults (68 percent vs. 55 percent) plan to volunteer in some way when the New Year arrives. Volunteerism also has its "youth movement." The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that young adults, ages 16-24, are helping lead the way in volunteerism - with more than 441,000 young volunteers in 2008 versus 2007. It also found that the youth today believe it is essential and "very important" to help others in need. And according to Just Kid Inc., 37 percent of kids, 44 percent of tweens and 46 percent of teens said they would do more volunteering if given the opportunity. When that happens, almost all youth (99 percent) say they were satisfied with their chosen volunteer service.   The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 - 2010 Moore Design Group. |
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