What does "Salva Nos" mean?
"Salva Nos" is Latin for "Save Us". Why did I pick that name
for this charity? Because when I think of the homeless an old
classical song comes to mind called Salva Nos, Stella Maris which means,
"Save Us, Star of the Sea", so I opted for the shorter version, "Salva
Nos".
I chose to say "save us" because helping the homeless is helping us.
Saving a homeless person is saving ourselves. We feel so far
removed from the bag lady with her cart or the crazy guy laying in the
grass, but we're all just a couple of bad decisions away from
homelessness ourselves if you really think about it.
I chose the site colors: midnight blue, white, periwinkle and yellow
to create a night-time looking theme to remind every visitor that some
of us are out-of-doors for the night... some of us look at the stars
until we finally fall asleep.
Personal Experience
I had a cousin named Rich. I say "had" because he died.
He was always a great guy, had a great job, and a beautiful wife who
adored him. We all adored him. One day he got a chemical
imbalance and he was never the same. He took to disappearing,
wandering, living under bridges... until he died out there in the
"wild".
My point is, that could be any of us. Who's to say what
devastating change could happen tomorrow, changing us forever.
How's the money raised?
The founder runs periodic "mortgage drives" where a certain dollar
amount from each mortgage is donated to Salva Nos (we often ask local
businesses to match our funds so we can double the amount of money
raised). We also solicit donations, whether one-time gifts or
monthly tithes. We put donation jars out at whatever businesses
will allow us.
Is money the only way to help?
No. You can help by donating goods, time, trades, services of
your profession, etc. You can help us organize. You can help
with legal things. You can hand out flyers, call businesses and
people you know in the community, donate clothes, blankets, and other
things that may be on people's wish lists. You can transport to
doctor appointments or donate a bus or train pass. There are many,
many ways to help and they are limited only by your imagination.
Who's behind the Salva Nos?
Hopefully we all are! Salva Nos was founded by
Cynthia Clinton,
a local mortgage planner. Her goal is to build up her
community while she builds her business, helping area charities and
developing a few of her own. She believes a business should be a
servant of its community. Cynthia actively slants her business so
that it benefits the causes she wants to help.
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