A New Pattern for Paws Pattern

Our second contribution for Patterns for Paws is courtesy of Janine Le Cras. It's perfect for the cat lover and for anyone who wants something pretty and functional. To order, please click the Add to Cart button, which will take you to PayPal.

The Ivy League Sock Pattern is still available as well.

Patterns for Paws

The Lily M. Foundation is joining efforts with the Purebred Cat Breed Rescue in the Patterns for Paws fundraising project. Knitting and crochet patterns will be available for a donation. Profits will be split equally between the organizations.

I am pleased to announce the first available pattern: Ivy League Sock Pattern by Wendy D. Johnson of Wendy Knits. I had the honor of test-knitting the pattern, and for someone with limited experience in lace, I found this pattern to be a breeze. It's not complicated, but there's enough of a pattern to keep it from being boring.

To purchase the pattern, which is $5.00, click on the Add to Cart button, which will take you to PayPal. The pattern is available only through download (to keep expenses low).

Thank you for your support.

A Foundation Update

It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I just want to give a brief update as to foundation happenings. The Lily M. Literacy Campaign has awarded its first scholarship. It went to Dawn Giddings of Wellsville High School.

Generous donations of Lily Pads continue to come in--and go out. The troubled economy continues to force people to make decisions that no one should really be forced to make. Pets are being abandoned or even euthanized because of the inability to buy their food. Lily's Friends is working to establish a relationship with food pantries in which we will donate pet food for those in need.

If you look at the right of this post, you'll see a yellow button reading Donate. That's right, now you can make your donation to The Lily M. Foundation, Inc., via PayPal. If you'd like your donation to go to a specific project, please indicate so in the Comment section.

Finally Official

After months--and I really mean months--The Lily M. Foundation Inc. is a legal entity. On October 22, 2007, the State of New York granted it nonprofit corporate status.

The next step is to apply for tax-exempt status. I have been promised that this is a much longer, more frustrating process that can take years. It's a step worth taking, so we'll do it.

I've been hesitant to push the foundation's programs until we were official. But, that's about to change. The scholarship program will have to be downsized due to financial concerns, but scholarships will be given next spring. Lily's Friends and Lily Pads are ongoing projects. The Lily Pads project is the beneficiary of December's charity knitting project for the online Knittinghope group.

I want to thanks Laura Wilson-Martos for designing the blog buttons for Lily's Friends and Lily Pads.

Check back to get the latest news of The Lily M. Foundation.

Welcome to The Lily M. Foundation

Welcome all who have found their way to the blog for The Lily M. Foundation. Founded in 2007, the foundation has two primary purposes. Through Lily's Friends, the foundation will assist in paying for veterinary care for the pets of seniors and individuals in need. It is also hoped that, in time, the program will also be able to give grants to shelters and rescues to help defray the cost of veterinary care for animals under their care.

The other program is called The Lily M. Literacy Campaign. Without an ability to read and write, one's ability to live a high-quality life is severely compromised. The Lily M. Literacy Campaign aims to create a renewed interest in reading and writing through reading programs and contests to encourage writing. In July 2007, the program will award prizes to the boys and girls who read the most pages during the Ottumwa (Iowa) Public Library's Summer Reading Program. In the spring of 2008, the program will award scholarships to graduating seniors in Allegany County, New York.

The Lily M. Foundation is going through the process that will lead to becoming tax exempt under IRS 501 (c)(3). If you would like to make a contribution anyway, please contact LilyM@idawalker.com.

Stay tuned for the latest in foundation news.