How Will You Be Remembered?

In memory of Joy Doescher 1963 - 2011

click here to see Joy's recipes

Snow is Coming...Are You ready?

• Grind your coffee ahead of time! Nothing worse than cutting up your beans with a knife.
• Fill your bathtub up with water. You can use it to flush your toilet if you lose your water too.
• Buy fun food – like Pop Tarts – especially if you have kids, they won’t be so miserable without their electronics if they get to eat some special treats.
• Also with kids, pull out old board games and cards and make up funny story games. One of our family favorites is “Would you rather…” – example: “Would you rather have your fingernails pulled out or get bird bombed by 100 Seagulls flying overhead” – did I mention I have 3 boys? Another one is where we take turns adding a sentence (or two) to a story. Someone starts out “There once was a man who worked at the Post Office” – the next kid says “He loved his job but really wanted to be a dancer” – and so on.
• Use Social Media to keep you informed. During the last power outage I used my Smartphone to get information.
• http://twitter.com/#!/wsdot_traffic
• http://twitter.com/#!/wsdot_tacoma
• http://twitter.com/#!/KIRO7Seattle
• http://twitter.com/#!/KitsapSun
• http://twitter.com/#!/komonews
• http://twitter.com/#!/KING5Seattle
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Kitsap-ReporterBremerton-Patriot/133032005834
• https://www.facebook.com/KitsapSun?
• https://www.facebook.com/WSDOT?
• https://www.facebook.com/KIRO7EyewitnessNews?

The Volunteer Protection Act

To promote volunteerism, the Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) was signed into law in 1997 under President Clinton. This Act pre-empts existing looser state laws protecting nonprofit volunteers, encouraging the public to participate in social service.

• the volunteer was acting within the guidelines of his/her job description;
• the volunteer had the proper licenses, certifications or was authorized to act AND those acts were within his/her job description;
• the volunteer did not cause harm that was “caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed;”
• the volunteer did not inflict harm while using a motor vehicle, aircraft or other vehicle.

• A child is severely injured while swimming at a church-sponsored summer camp. The volunteer camp counselor who neglected to supervise the pool would not be liable for the incident. However, the church is liable for not hiring a properly trained lifeguard to supervise the pool.
• While driving several young players to a little league baseball game, a volunteer coach makes an illegal left turn and hits another car. In this instance, the volunteer is liable and is not immune under VPA or the state law because he violated a traffic law.

• Establish a risk management program run by a designated committee to address factors that could negatively affect your organization. The committee should identify risks that have the potential to be costly for the organization.
• Have risk financing in place to pay for damages, legal expenses, injuries or other costs associated with litigation.
• Obtain general liability insurance, which protects against bodily injury and property damage claims that are brought against you organization by the volunteer.