The fledgling Raw Milk Institute is in trouble.
The grandiose plan for a national organization that will at once establish raw milk production standards, educate farmers on improving their safety protocols, lobby for raw milk legislative expansion, and back research into raw milk’s benefits finds itself hobbled by internal dissension out of the gate.
I don’t think it’s overly dramatic to question whether the group can survive what has turned out to be a huge test of its purpose and objectivity.
As evidence, beyond the debate on this blog, a group of a dozen activists today sent everyone associated with RAWMI a formal request for information on standards, membership requirements, and legislative plans and activities.
The request was prefaced by a statement from Liz Reitzig, co-founder of the Farm Food Freedom Coalition, who said she was “concerned that RAWMI is not as transparent as its website indicates.”
She also complained that “one RAWMI board member in particular has maligned other raw milk activists and slandered individuals in an unprofessional manner. Whether or not RAWMI intends to or not, this behavior reflects unfavorably on the organization as a whole, discrediting the purported work of the organization.”
Within hours of receiving the request, Mark McAfee, the founder of RAWMI (and owner of Organic Pastures Dairy Co.), said common standards, protocols, and food safety plans “are officially under development and not completed.”
He added that, “To become a producer that is ‘Listed with RAWMI’ there is a formal process that is currently under development. This educational process will include watching various educational modules and or webinars that form the basis of knowledge for quality raw milk production. There will be additional requirements and the cost of this process is not finalized yet.”
Finally, he said, “There has been no legislative language submitted to any legislative body anywhere in the USA (that I am aware of).”
He apologized for “inflammatory comments…being shared in the name of RAWMI. I speak for myself and no one else speaks for me.” And, he noted, “Religion and politics should never ever play a part in Raw Milk Quality Assurance.”
He promised a detailed report on changes he plans in “a week or so…” He added, “We all come from divergent backgrounds and agendas but we must all stand together.”
McAfee’s response sounds promising. It could be he needs to scale his initially ambitious plans back some, and simply focus on a few things that can reasonably be accomplished–say, in the education arena–as a means of building credibility. Yes, credibility and trust are the key required ingredients at this point in RAWMI’s rocky launch.
***
Here is the formal request submitted to RAWMI from food rights activists:
RAWMI;
To Whom it may concern:
We, being tenants of the raw milk sovereignty, individuals as producers, consumers and third party distributors, do hereby request the following pursuant to our common law right to know:
1. All protocols and requirements including but not limited to standards, parameters, suggestions, guidelines, requirements and any language being used, to be used and that can be construed as suggested or required instructions, parameters that farmers must follow, adhere to, meet, comply with or otherwise participate to attain RAWMI certification or whatever language RAWMI uses, or expects to use, that is the equivalent of “certification” – being forwarded by the RAWMI organization as intended to apply to raw milk and raw milk products so that we may determine for ourselves the impacts to our individual situations.
2. All requirements for simple membership in RAWMI whether for a farmer or non-farmer
3. Copies of all legislative language RAWMI has proposed or intends to propose to state legislators.
We deem 20 contiguous days to be sufficient time to respond.
This document is submitted by:
Liz Reitzig, Co-Founder, Farm Food Freedom Coalition
Karine Bouis-Towe, Co-Founder, Farm Food Freedom Coalition
Laurie Cohen-Peters, Co-Founder, Farm Food Freedom Coalition
Odette Springer, Co-Founder, Farm Food Freedom Coalition
Deborah Stockton, Executive Director, National Independent Consumers and Farmers (NICFA)
Greg Niewendorp, Board Member, National Independent Consumers and Farmers (NICFA)
John Moody, Whole Life Services, LLC
Randy Cook, President, National Organization of Raw Materials (NORM)
Paul Griepentrog, Vice President, National Organization of Raw Materials (NORM)
miguel
Doreen Hannes, Property Rights and Traditional Agriculture Advocate, Researcher
Andy Mastrocola, Wisconsin Raw Milk Association
***
Canadian raw dairy farmer Michael Schmidt provides comments very much to the point of recent discussions here, in a blog post of his own (an interview with himself). The part I like best:
“My biggest challenge is the either ormentality of some, ignoring the process of transition.
“We have allowed a bureaucracy to get out of control and expect that we simply can remove ourselves from the system to evade the dictatorial powers, (which) does not work.”
Thank you for this.
I do however take exception to your assessment of RAWMI being in some sort of trouble. Yes…I agree that RAWMI has had some unproductive rogue expenditure of energy in the last 60 days, as it has learned a little bit about the terrain. But this is not a sign of weakness or failure. This is the heat of the formation of strength and progress. We will not repeat our mistakes. We will learn, build and adjust. We will unify and we will understand the keen differences between private raw milk and public raw milk and the different needs of each. We will concentrate on the fundamentals of our mission and do the hard work of teaching those that want information. Webinars taught by experts and Standards that make sense and work will be our core effort.
Yes….I have had a heart to heart with certain people and it is hoped that direct and clear communication will bring forth better appreciation and respect for the nature of our diverse raw milk crowd.
RAWMI must unify those that want progress and not divide any one of us from our common belief in raw milk as a healing food.
David…I would have used a different picture on this post. I would have used a picture of a farmer walking up the steps and over hurdles to a bright new future…not a person falling down the steps.
If you as a writer want progress….you must also encourage understanding and progress. Dooms day predictions about RAWMI and its emminent failure is not productive or constructive. RAWMI is not even six months old. It is in its infantcy. It is a pioneering effort that is taking on the giants of the processed food industry and their political infrastructure. Your efforts as a writer should unify as well.
I really look forward to Dr. Cat's first Webinars that will take place soon. She is brilliant and her research into the basics of how to produce reduced risk raw milk will be rewarding to those that engage themselves into this educational effort. We also look forward to our first farmers beginning the "Listing" process at RAWMI this spring.
I also look forward to the publication of the basic Common Standards and the templates of the Food Safety Plans that will assist farmers to achieve their safety goals. We now have 1000 members etc…our first newletter is going out this week.
In a year or so….there will be plenty to blog about when we have created some track record and there is something to really discuss. Until then…..negative blogging is counter productive and builds nothing except for dissension among the diverse voices of the ranks raw milk thinkers, drinkers and producers.
2012 will be a great year at many levels. FTCLDF is kicking the FDA's back side on the interstate raw milk litiagtion. The freedom riders are resisting and breaking FDA raw milk laws….everywhere….got to love that. WAP continues to grow and grow.
Today a huge South Korean probiotic company approached RAWMI to ask for assistance in the production of raw milk for South Korea. I know,……I know…. I am getting ahead of myself….it is back to basics time. We are committed to the basics and at the same time, we will take calls and meetings from South Korea. The opportunity is huge and we are working hard to create something very American and very good for all of us.
We must fight back against the FDA and it will take everyone and every voice pulling together to save the lives of our children from highly processed, sterilized, pasteurized, homogenized, sprayed-on, hormone injected, GMO, John Sheehan, Michael Taylor, Bill Marler, super bug loving, immune depression madness.
Unity….one voice coming from all of our diversity will be the the strength that overcomes this darkness that we can all see when others are blind.
Will the real Mark McAfee please stand up.
Mark McAfee runs a 450 cow commercial raw milk dairy and has no business meddling in herdshares. My fear is that RAWMI will regulate us out of business.
Please spend your hard earned dollars supporting your local small farms and not a third party organization trying to control a tradition that has nourished millions of people and survived hundreds of years without regulation.
You were also paying attention when those that had a problem with your disdain for the small farmer that was disclosed here….and you also saw where your personal views might cloud the effectiveness of your 'institute'. That is why we must hear time and time again that rawmi is for 'all' farmers….personally I don't believe that…and neither should anyone else that has followed your comments on this blog. You can say it till you are blue in the face….but being believed is a different story.
The fact that you do not see that it is YOUR efforts with rawmi, your constant misrepresenting it and underestimating what it will do to the existing market… that is the impetuous for the division of this movement. It's not the majority of producers disagreement with your actions that is causing it (despite what you and your pal Bill would like to think). Unity of the raw milk movement will never come if it depends on everyone agreeing WITH YOU. And those that don't agree, currently are in the majority (both here on this blog and elsewhere.) Sure you signed up 1000 consumers thanks to the Foundation convention….without cajoling and misleading some producers to sign up, how much 'safer' can you make the raw milk supply.
David is right about what tone and picture he used for this blog entry. Your inability to see reality for what it truly is, your incessant infatuation with the positive, and your to hell with what anyone else thinks, I'm going forward the way I want attitude is cause for concern. You've bungled this from the beginning… Your rhetoric is clearly opaque. We can only hope that the efforts of those who see this, and a new website warning of the dangers of what you are 'doing', can be the nail in the coffin for rawmi. Universal access….a safer raw milk supply….are worthy ends….but the price that must be paid to achieve them must be fully recognized. We can still get there without following the conventional model of industrial production and delivery.
It's really scary, the idea that Mark, Bill and the others at the institute will have access to names addresses etc of raw milk farmers that sign up for the edumacation. That kind of database doesn't need to be in the hands of those that can't be trusted…..and the word must get out so the danger can be fully exposed. Anyone that would even think about lobbying a state for mandatory membership in a private organization cannot be trusted. Period.
Again I reiterate that pressure must be brought to bear to thwart the industrialization and commoditization of raw milk. We do not need to go down that road to have a good future for raw milk. I implore those reading that concur to make two phone calls….first to their chapter leader and second to the WAP home office….just to let them know that they disagree with their support of the effort that very well could undermine a majority of the raw milk producers in this country. (and if you doubt that, look what went down in Minn and Wisc…)
I thank you for this too. Unlike some other media outlets, your integrity has never been in question.
Mark,
You have promised more info time and again for RAWMI. Last I remember they were due last September.
When, exactly, will you keep your promise?
From RAWMI email received this am:
"As RAWMI has come onto the scene, there seems to be some concerns that Common Standards and customized farmer Food Safety Plans are only for large dairies."
Has anyone seen these plans?
" To expand access to all consumers, not just those who know the secret hand shake, we need to be progressive in the way we interact with regulators and legislators and with the information we are able to provide to them. "
The above words hold a great deal of foreboding.
"We understand that these methods may raise cause for concern, but we are making progress and these efforts have been very well received.'
By who?
" RAWMI believes that if raw milk farmers intend on gaining the trust of the public, the regulators or the legislatures, then we must be very transparent and very deserving of trust."
Those who consume raw milk have trust in their farmers, if not, they wouldn't consume it. As for the regulators and legislatures-they need not be involved in any private agreements.
" In time you will see farmers bacteria counts laid onto a color-coded graph that is green, yellow, red indicating ranges that are optimum to not acceptable."
For the average person, the counts and graphs are meaningless, just as the warnings on the cigarettes goes unheeded, same principal.
" Charts like this will demonstrate to decision makers that high quality raw milk exists without the need to pasteurize."
Oh pictures for the govt people? I don't know about others, I do not need nor want anyone making decisions for me.
"We know that perhaps not all raw milk producers will embrace this transparency, "
Colored graphs doesn't make one transparent.
"nor will they embrace the thought that consumer education"
I've not read of one farmer than doesn't educate the consumers….please name them if you know of them.
" is a tool to develop markets for their products and grow their businesses. "
It appears, on this blog alone, (there are numerous others) that most of the cow shares have no intention of "grow" ing, they are comfortable where they are. Getting big is not everyones goal.
"RAWMI was not designed for all farmers. "
Apparently not.
Milk farmer: "thwart the industrialization and commoditization of raw milk. We do not need to go down that road to have a good future for raw milk."
If this was to come to pass…it would place raw milk in the same category as pasteurized milk….ruined.
RAWMI is based on obsolete, germophobic science – the science adopted and co-opted by the food regulators. Whatever the "bright" ones think, this is not the way forward.
If Miguel still follows this blog, I wish him and his family a Happy New Year!
I will persist in my positive energy and serve all….
"There are many ways to show that the United States is a failed state. It's use of laws is one of them.
For a society to be well governed, its laws must be laws the people want to obey. Only one such law existsreasonable, just and moral law. The Ancients knew this too: Isocrates in his speech entitled Areopagiticus said, "Those who are rightly governed . . . do not fill their porticoes with written statutes but only cherish justice in their souls; for it is not by legislation, but by morals that states are well directed."
No nation full of filled prisons can even pretend to be well directed. Yet many do.
Nations who use repression to exact conformity do so because they have no interest in perfecting society, and that is their greatest fault. Their leaders prefer societies as they are – full of violence, injustice, unfairness, poverty, helplessness, and hopelessness. The people in such societies are easily herded into disparate groups. The cohesion required by society is shattered. The state becomes not merely ill-governed but ungovernable. Many now claim that America has reached that stage. Without an interest in perfecting society, morality too is a meaningless concept.
The immorality of today's governments of laws world-wide makes it impossible for the world's peoples to live together peacefully, and consequently, generation after generation of human beings are regularly sacrificed to protect ruling classes and fulfill their wishes. Things won't change until governments function for the benefit of people everywhere, not organizations, institutions, or practices."
Taken from this link: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=28193
Why anyone would want MORE regulation seems sorta out there, if you ask me. No one did, but I'm just sayin' .
I profess staying under the radar would be best for all of us, in regard to raw milk, in our current governmentalist structured society. But you won't make as much money under the radar. When it gets to be about money, you've lost the *societies interests* AFAIC. The term go big or go home just doesn't fit with raw milk in the societal landscape in which we now find ourselves.
I will persist in my positive energy and serve all…. "
No lets get this right. You will continue in your delusion, buoyed by a tremendous amount of arrogance, that you know what's best for all…..and you will only serve those who agree with you (since you minimize and trivialize your critics every chance you get)
Your persistence will doom milk to diminished, and ordinary, future.
How about it, Mark? If that were in your charter, I could back you. Otherwise, I sit on the sidelines and enjoy the infighting — like the big industrial dairies must be doing right about now.
Recently, some enlightened poster here mentioned the BBC series "Century of the Self". This is a very good history of public relations. I think Sylvia would enjoy it, because it shows how Mr. Bernays (Freud's nephew) caused women to start smoking.
RAWMI's PR has, to date, been very poor. Direct condescension and complete opacity are not good recruiting tools. Mark et al needs to produce something more than rhetoric.
I found "Century of the Self" (4hrs of it) on you-tube and will watch it. I find history fascinating. Thank you.
One of the women who was a spy during the American Revolution smoked a pipe as part of her "cover". She was quite a refined women but was posing as a country hick.
Let it be said here and now, I consider myself a country hick – but I haven't smoked anything in 15 years. ;->) But then I'm not (yet) fighting in a revolution either and so far I don't need to stay undercover.
If you're really interested in mindbending, historical realism, you should take the time to watch this. Divide it up into segments if it's too much to watch all at one crack.
You will be mad as hell when you get done watching.
We agree that there is private raw milk and there is public raw milk. Each is special and each has there place. Both have our support. Nothing and no one at RAWMI has ever said differently.
If you and your experts analyze the outbreaks from 2010-2011, which ones do you think as a group, theoretically, could have been prevented if the not yet published RAWMI standards were in place?
http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/PDFs/Dairy-Outbreak-Table.pdf
Also, do you think (speculate) that the lawsuit linked in the last thread could have been prevented if the dairy had followed proposed RAWMI standards vs. state standards already in place in Washington?
MW
Why not ask for facts instead of speculation? Oh yeah, the govt deals in speculation to suit themselves…..
MW
http://youtu.be/ej5_rZof7MA
Too bad all the predominately white mainstream media don't listen or interview many African Americans… and they won't let any amount of facts stop them from twisting things to try and stop a threat to their establishment buddies and gravy train from getting into office…
RAWMI standards, state standards, pasteurization or all the other standards used to control and manipulate organisms will not prevent situations such as the one described in your thread. The lawsuits that stem from such a scenarios are based on a litigation crazed societies belief, rather then facts and likewise nurtured by authorities who use a methodology to establish cause and effect thats questionable at best.
The most effective way to avoid such situations would be to issue a cease and desist order on the medical, drug and biopharmaceutical industries with respect to the use and promotion of vaccines and other toxic drugs and chemicals
John M
Thanks for sharing the video.
Ken
"RAWMI is very supportive of Cow Shares. Our actions have demonstrated that support."
I've felt this support for 7 days already! What a wonderful change! I'm hoping it continues!
I feel a twinge of the old pain of "support through inflaming regulators to crack down" when I see your Dec 22 comment included the phrase "CDFA management or control of the approximate 500 Cow Shares." Wow! When you "supported" (some would say attacked) cow shares in your Nov 16 appeal to the CDFA, you were saying 140 cow shares:
"There are at least 140 cow share programs operating under the radar in CAnone of these programs operate under a testing program or with CDFA inspection or testing programs that we are aware of." http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/?currentPage=4
Now you've announcing that there are 500 Cow Shares! This is support?
Mark McAfee wrote:
"We agree that there is private raw milk and there is public raw milk. Each is special and each has there place. Both have our support. Nothing and no one at RAWMI has ever said differently. "
No one has, since the last time you or Bill A. did. Bill A. very recently bashed "private" raw milk, on this very blog, within the last three posts. You yourself wrote here, on August 26:
"… I would not blame CDFA for shutting down all cow share programs in CA. I would say this directly to anyone including CDFA if they asked." http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2011/9/26/what-are-the-appropriate-limits-for-crusading-parents-amid-p.html#comment15180114
That same Aug 26 comment of yours included false, inflammatory charges (apparently chosen to inflame the regulators) against the cow shares.
From the cow shares perspective, it's been an odd sort of "support" – intermittently soothing, but often lashing out with fear-mongering accusations that echo those that the PMO players have used against Raw Milk for decades.
I tell myself that "support" should feel like support, to the supported.
Meanwhile, I'd love it if Sylvia would be willing to post the full text of the email RAWMI sent out to its list recently, as the excerpts she quoted sounded more supportive of RAWMI efforts to legislatively regulate "private milk" ("secret handshake milk"?) than they did of supporting cow shares.
I do hope we can all support one another in securing our rights, including our right to provide food for ourselves.
Kirsten, I've so far watched most of the BBC show, interesting to see how the manipulation is formed. My dads grandmother would sit on the porch with a blanket and smoke her pipe every morning then go stand in line for commodities outside of Tahlequah.
RAWMI email I received:
> From: Raw Milk Institute <www@rawmilkinstitute.org>
> Date: December 29, 2011 2:06:20 AM CST
> To: Sylvia Gibson <sundancr56@yahoo.com>
> Subject: News from the Raw Milk Institute
> Reply-To: Raw Milk Institute <www@rawmilkinstitute.org>
>
> Looking forward – End-of-year news & updates from RAWMI
>
> Is this email not displaying correctly?
> View it in your browser.
> RAWMI Newsletter Header
> A Word From Our Founder, Mark McAfee
>
> RAWMI was founded in mid-2011, after years of traveling across North America and hearing consumers complain that they could not gain access to quality raw milk.
>
> 2012 will be a year of action for RAWMI. We are not trying to re-invent the wheel and do what has already been done. We will use our position to bring about changes that will increase nation-wide access to safe raw milk. We will keep you up-to-date with communication tools like Face Book and our newsletter. We are working diligently on our farmers program and tools that will connect consumers with those farmers. Consumer testimonies are also very important because it is a powerful tool for other families who are looking for answers.
>
> As RAWMI has come onto the scene, there seems to be some concerns that Common Standards and customized farmer Food Safety Plans are only for large dairies. To expand access to all consumers, not just those who know the secret hand shake, we need to be progressive in the way we interact with regulators and legislators and with the information we are able to provide to them. We understand that these methods may raise cause for concern, but we are making progress and these efforts have been very well received. RAWMI believes that if raw milk farmers intend on gaining the trust of the public, the regulators or the legislatures, then we must be very transparent and very deserving of trust. In time you will see farmers bacteria counts laid onto a color-coded graph that is green, yellow, red indicating ranges that are optimum to not acceptable. Charts like this will demonstrate to decision makers that high quality raw milk exists without the need to pasteurize.
>
> We know that perhaps not all raw milk producers will embrace this transparency, nor will they embrace the thought that consumer education is a tool to develop markets for their products and grow their businesses. RAWMI was not designed for all farmers. As it is with any brave movement, first the pioneers step forward and then others follow as the value of RAWMI has been experienced and appreciated.
>
> If you or a raw milk farmer that you know would like to pioneer forward in the extremely rewarding, consumer-connected raw milk marketRAWMI is for you.
> = = = = = = = = = =
> Year-End Tax Deductions
>
> We continue to raise the much-needed funds to complete our Financial Freedom Initiative. We're a third of the way there! For those of you who still need to plant those tax-deductible donations in fertile soil, we encourage you to do so with RAWMI. If you donation is substantial, you may want to mail a check to us; otherwise, you can donate online at at http://www.RawMilkInstitute.org. We need to raise another $40,000 to meet our goal by the middle of February.
>
> RAWMI is here to expand raw milk access by working with farmers, consumers, legislators and regulators. We are working on all those fronts to help you and your loved ones, wherever they may live, obtain the raw milk you are seeking for the health of your families. We have an impressive Board of Directors and Advisory Council all lending their expertise on furthering the raw milk food freedom fight.
>
> = = = = = = = = = =
> New Years Goals
>
> As the Raw Milk Institute looks forward into 2012, we will be discussing our goals for the new year and we love hearing from all of you and learning how we can help you where you are. Do you have a raw milk farmer who you believe will benefit from the publicity that comes from completing our Farmers Program? We want to hear from you. Would you like to organize a Raw Milk Day at your state capitol this year? How about a RAWMI fund-raiser in your area that would also promote your local farmers market? We can help you with all of those things, and we're only a phone call or an email away!
> = = = = = = = = = =
> Farmers Program
>
> RAWMI is working on the development of our Farmers Program with the goal of being ready to accept farmers into the program by the end of January 2012. Farmers who are interested in the online program are invited to fill out the application found on our website.
Hey friend. I am trying to reconcile your statements about RAWMI's purpose, with Rawmi's allocation of resources (believe your only full time employee is a lobbyist) and correspondence we have received about RAWMI. For instance,
This is Mark's statement from an email,
Let me be clear.RAWMI is not currently lobbying for any new laws on raw milk. However, RAWMI is supporting several long standing local raw milk initiatives. One good example is the raw milk bill in Minnesota that simply decriminalizes the transport of raw milk to a place off the farm so that it can be delivered closer to the farmers consumer.
***
WAPF email,
RAWMI is making great strides in the regulatory and law-making communities. For example, Stacy Pearson, RAWMIs Vice President, has been meeting with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to define a legal herd-share that will be exempt from regulation!
As a result, she has been asked to work with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture on their raw milk legislation. She has been working feverishly with WAPF chapter leaders in New Jersey in preparations for their raw milk hearing next week. She has connected with the Maine Congresswoman offering the Local Food, Farms & Jobs Act.
In Minnesota, legislators are lined up to carry the new RAWMI raw milk access bill and RAWMI is meeting with their activists to coordinate a Raw Milk Day at the Capitol.
***
This email from WAPF makes it appear that pretty much all RAWMI is doing currently publicly is related to raw milk legislation and regulation.
Look forward to your response and the input of others, especially anyone from the states involved.
http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
People are slowly opening their eyes to where their food comes from and how it is processed….They need to be informed to make informed choices.
If you read the responses, you can see where the organic vs non-organic really don't have a clue.
Here's the description of the above link:
CNN finally released the full interview. It shows that Ron Paul didn't "storm off" – the interview was over. All parts of the interview that make Gloria Borger look ridiculous and provocative were cut out of the heavily edited and misleading version that aired on CNN:
As you can see CNN aired the final segment (starting at 6:00) first, trying to create the false impression that Ron Paul terminated the interview just minutes after it had started. In reality the interview had already lasted a full 8 minutes and was effectively over, with no further questions being asked.
Propagandist Borger ended the interview with an outrageous insinuation and lie: "Some of this stuff was very incendiary, you know… saying that in 1993 the Israelis were responsible for the bombing of the World Trade Center".
http://youtu.be/8Rv0Z5SNrF4
But of course, a doctor who would deliver the baby of a BI-racial couple in 1972 Texas, and then pay the bill for this young couple in the time of the loss of a still born, first child…
is a heartless racist…
Their website states that "The Raw Milk Institute is pending 501(c)(3) approval. Upon final approval from the IRS, all donations to the Raw Milk Institute will be retroactively tax deductible."
The IRS notes that "Section 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted in how much political and legislative (lobbying) activities they may conduct." One would hope that all of RAWMI's Board of Director, Staff, and Executive Advisory Council members are aware of these restrictions as they continue "making great strides in the regulatory and law-making communities."
Reference: http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html