CERF+ Launches New Website

If you have been to the CERF+ website  recently you may have noticed a new look, and now, after testing and tweaking, we are officially launching the newly redesigned site.  The new site features more stories about the artists we serve and the donors who make our work possible. Emergency preparedness is now integrated into the site, with context-sensitive tips and quick links to our companion preparedness/recovery website. www.studioprotector.org, as well as many other improvements.

Please stop by www.craftemergency.org, look around, and tell us what you think.  And while you are at it, help us get the word out by posting a link on your Facebook or other social networking page.

A Season for CERF+ Winds Up Fifteenth Year

Fifty galleries and independent artists participated in A Season for CERF+ 2011.  Some hosted  events, others donated a percentage of their sales and  still others simply made a donation  and promoted CERF+ to their customers.   About half the participants’ donations are in, and already over $14,000 has been raised.

“All of us at CERF+ thank this year’s participants in A Season for CERF+. We can’t overstate the importance of this event to our work, “ notes CERF+ executive director, Cornelia Carey, “The relationships we’ve built with artists and galleries through A Season for CERF+ have raised critical funds and helped us spread the word about what we do in communities throughout the United States.” If you’d like to be a part of A Season for CERF+, which runs from September through December, it’s not too early to begin planning. Contact either Nel or Carrie at 802-229-2306 to sign up and discuss how you might be involved.

CERF+ Hosts have heART Event

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, CERF+ has teamed two  local businesses to offer our second annual have heART event in the nation’s smallest capital, Montpelier, VT. on February 10 and 11.  Visitors to The Drawing Board on February 10th and the Capital City Farmers Market on February 11 can stop by the CERF+ table to make their own valentines or purchase one of  those contributed by artists from Vermont and around the country.   Local artists will be on hand as well to make custom valentines or assist visitors in the creation of their own.

CERF+ will celebrate the concept of love and the joy of making things by hand while at the same time raising funds for artist resources and emergency support.  Interested in helping out?  There is still time to contribute valentines (any size, shape, style, or medium) to CERF+ for this project.  Mail yours to CERF+, PO Box 838 (or 28 Elm St #2), Montpelier, VT 05601, by February 8.

It's Not Too Late! Contribute To Annual Appeal

If you have not yet made a contribution to CERF+'s Annual Appeal, there's still time! As CERF+'s only direct yearly solictiation, Annual Appeal provides vital funds for our emergency relief assistance and preparedness resources. 

To make a contribution, visit our website. If you have already donated, thank you!

PS- It's tax season! If you made a charitable contribution to CERF+  during 2011 and need another copy of your thank you letter, please email us. 

Join the Fight for Arts Funding! Be Part of the Arts Action Fund

To ensure healthy arts funding and arts education in the U.S., we’re urging everyone in the craft community to join the Arts Action Fund national movement.

The Arts Action Fund is the only national organization that mobilizes Americans in the fight for arts funding and arts education. Add your voice today! Be a part of this nationwide army of citizen activists who will help guarantee that arts-friendly public policies are adopted at the federal, state, and local levels.

Tip of the Month: Get a NOAA Weather Radio for Home and One for the Studio

Tornado season in the South started early this year. The warning from a NOAA weather radio in the early hours of the morning was a reminder of how important it is for every home and workplace to have a functioning weather radio. A NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radio broadcasts National Weather Service (NWS) watches, warnings, forecasts, and other hazards 24 hours a day, seven days a week over all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and U.S. Pacific Territories. While 85-95 percent of the nation is covered by weather broadcasts, it is estimated that only 5-10% of Americans actually own a weather radio. It is especially important to have one when a storm strikes in the middle of the night, or when you are working in the studio and may not be listening to a radio or television.

Here are some facts and tips about weather radios:

• The radio turns on and broadcasts an alarm when there is a serious event in your area such as: a dangerous weather situation, an AMBER alert, a natural or technological hazard, or a national emergency.
• Weather radios are available for about $20 to over $100 depending on the brand, model, and features.
• Portable weather radios can be taken with you in the car, or when camping, hiking, playing golf, etc. to warn you of potentially life-threatening situations.

Read more tips and facts...

More information on NOAA All Hazards Weather Radios, including SAME codes to program your receiver, is available here.