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Giving Program Spotlight: What Makes SoHumane So Special

Brown Paper Tickets has a ginormous heart for animals (just check out our Instagram for a peek inside our fur-friendly offices). That’s why we’re wagging our tails in excitement to announce SoHumane as our latest Giving Program recipient.

Read on for a personal account of what makes SoHumane so special.

This month’s organization really touched my heart. SoHumane is an all-volunteer organization that serves companion animals. SoHumane adopts animals from other shelters and saves them from euthanasia through their Saving Train program.

A few years ago I had the cutest little dog named Sammy, pictured here. He was a Pomeranian—one of those small, poof pups with the pointy ears.

Sammy was the smallest member of our family. Everyone loved him. We had him for ten years when he was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and an enlarged heart. The vet suggested we put him to sleep because those conditions were not treatable. The day we put him to sleep was the hardest. We cried for weeks.

To this day, I haven’t gotten another pet.

Now imagine an animal being put to sleep simply because there is no space. 

SoHumane provides quality care for dogs and cats, including shelter and adoption services for displaced pets. They also strive to reduce the pet overpopulation through spay and neutering programs.

SoHumane’s Programs

The Saving Train Program attempts to rescue animals that have been marked for death at public shelters. According to SoHumane, the animals they attempt to rescue are healthy, adoptable animals that have been overlooked and have run out of time at overcrowded public facilities. Learn more about the Saving Train.

Senior Pets – As you can imagine, senior animals are the first ones to be marked for death at public shelters, especially if the shelter is packed with younger pets. Most people tend to adopt the younger ones. SoHumane believes that every pet—no matter their age—deserves a chance.

Medical Needs – They take care of treatable medical conditions so that the animal’s adoption chances increase. 

Make a monetary contribution, choose a donation item from their wish list or give your time.

I am so thankful for organizations like SoHumane for saving one animal at a time. Suggest a charitable organization for our next donation here.

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Mid-Week Beat: Is Radio Still Relevant in the Digital Age?

large_war-of-the-worldsThis week on the Mid-Week Beat we stray away from our usual format of featuring bands and shows to focus on radio, and more specifically Low Power FM. Radio is an important medium that is just as relevant and useful to independent musicians as it is to community groups and non-profits, even in the age of the Internet. Today, on World Radio Day, we feel it’s important to talk about some exciting developments for independent, community-based radio and to encourage all of you to support the independent radio stations in your own community. Happy World Radio Day everyone!

Every musician wants to connect with their audiences and, in the past, radio airplay has been the key to achieving that. I know some of you can remember the excitement of when you heard your favorite song come on the radio or, if your a musician, the first time you heard your own music on the radio. Younger musicians like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, have made it clear that the walls of the old school music industry are crumbling in favor of D.I.Y. online solutions, but does that mean that the power of radio has diminished?

No one who listened to Orson Welles’ famous radio play, “War of the Worlds” would have questioned the importance of radio. The realistic “theatre of the mind” made people of that day pack their bags, call the police and go into basic panic mode, because what you create in your mind can be even more powerful than anything that you see or read. Surely, radio as a medium would remain important to artists who’s work can primarily be appreciated and shared through the sense of sound… at least, as long as audiences were still tuning in.

But in the digital age, has radio outlived its relevance?

According to the United Nations, radio remains the medium that reaches the widest audience worldwide, and radio is able to connect better with communities regardless of economics or education levels. Radio can reach listeners who are engaged in other activities and tell stories in a way that resonates in a different way than other forms of media are able to. This is just as true in the world’s largest cities as it is in places without a digital communications infrastructure.
Read More…

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