Aloha Deborah,

To quickly answer your question, the information I have is from a book passed down to me when I was in active duty, assisting and counseling service members on their financial responsibilities while in service. God knows many needed it! I use it when I need to find information for myself but became stumped when I was looking for a particular grant. That's when I stumbled accross this site and was taken back by everyone asking and not very much receiving.

I was kind of let down when I read a post about somones else's spelling and criticism toward the post and fired back. Not good! I have defended this country for quite a while and do not like to see petty remarks dished out over an open forum especially when they are only asking for help and assistance.

I see that you looking for a grant to rehab a buillding, can you tell me the age? this makes a world of diffence when asking for funding. most states offer zero interest loans and depending on where the facility is located, some federal grants do apply. There are also some great people out there that have put aside funding for special projects that require restoration.

Let me know and I will see what I can do for you. We may even have to contact the Presidential Nominee John McCain to assist. (:

 Aloha Reji,

I noticed your story and let me tell you that maybe you do have something really going for you!  It's not everyday that you see or find someone with the talent or desire to succeed by initiative at which you so eloquently displayed. I commend you for your attention to detail and wish you all the best in your endeavors.

I am providing some sources for you to look into and I will encourage you to draft up your plan, get ideas from other companies within your business description, find out who and where your competition is, and find out what this is all worth on paper and when you have completed these fundamental steps, contact S.C.O.R.E. all these steps and more are outlined on their webpage template and HIGHLY encourage you to follow them and make contact with the nearest representative in or around the area of Oakland or San Fran. These are the experts and they are mostly retired execs/ceo etc. and can point you in the right direction and possibly point you to venture investors. www.score.org

Also as promised check out these entities as well:

California State Treasurer's Office, www.treasurer.ca.gov  for assistance in obtaining information of small business investors and state/federal grants available to new business ventures in the state of california.

San Francisco District  Investors:

Housatonic Equity Investors SBIC, L.P.  breynolds@housatoincpartners.com for funding possibilities

Outlook Ventures III, L.P.  Carl Nichols carl@iminds.com for funding possibilities

Rej, send these people roughly the same email you have written here and please spell check prior to releasing the email. When it comes to people investing their money in you the first thing they see is your letter! make them want to read it not delete it. you will have to make sure your "T" is crossed and the "i" is dotted so to speak. everything counts and as I said attention to detail is your best friend.

Also, contact the people at SCORE, they have very good advice to help you get on your way.

All the Best!

 Aloha, Nahea

 Aloha Crystal,

I am one that stands with you when it comes to helping everyone out. It seems that time and money plays a big part of it??? go figure!

Anyway, please tell me exactly what you are looking to get into and explain why you are looking to get into a Home Business?

Home Businesses can be rewarding but pose many challenges and just one of those that most people find and why many home businesses fail is the amount of time they need to invest in making it succeed. Some maybe most find themselves putting at least 18 hours a day... so you really need to be certain that this is the direction you want to venture into. I'm not trying to scare you away from the possibility, I'm just telling you point blank, that the prospects of a home business needs serious thought and it's not an easy fix. Don't let the T.V. commercials fool you into thinking it so because they are all small businesses themselves looking to bring numbers under their business... sort of a pyramid scheme when you look at it closely.

In short, someone is out there thinking of ways to part us from our money and as long as you keep that in the back of your mind you'll come out ahead.

I will tell you this, if you are determined to own a successful business then there are many programs out there to help you. and many of them are monies for women to start their own legitimate, storefront business and all funding comes from other successful women businesses as well as state and federal programs and the best thing about it is that most can be started with no out-of-pocket expense from you.

Let me know what you think and I will send you some information to help you start down your path.

Take Care, Nahea

Aloha all!

internet connection has been down for a week... boy was I lost!

Anyway, I want to thank any and all for posting information I believe most desperately need. Mahalo nui loa!!!  We all need to do our part to ensure this system provides the support and assistance to those less-fortunate... Help me lift their spirits and provide the guidance to which they seek!  

Irene, I need to do a little further research on that one, I'll get back to you asap.

Here are my submissions for Grants:

*Scholarships for National Health Service Corps- Additional scholarship program designed for Health Professions Students to assure adequate supply of health care professionals due to shortages. (Trina31) www.bphc.hrsa.dhhs.gov/nhsc

*

OMG!   I don't know what it is about sites that lure people in like fish and set them up for more diappointment or false hopes!  I came here hoping to be helped and give help in return but as I peruse through the many post(s) and site itself I see a lot of asking and not much help in return and if there is help, it's either on rash replies or comments to someone's post or embedded on the lefthand column with "Paid For" advertisements that cost the individual??? go figure! as the old adage goes "It takes money to make money". something most of us don't have in the first place!

 Maybe it's just that I haven't been here for long as some may have been but there sure are a lot of hands out in the "Empty Pot" and this my friends is not what makes a very good, reliable place to come for help or answers.

Let me apologize and justify my statement to the FEW that may have found the "Light at the end of the Tunnel" or "Pot 'O' Gold" for what this site may have brought them.  I'm not here to bash this site in anyway what so ever! Au Contriare, like I said earlier...I am like MOST of you...here for answers, guidance, semblance and most of all, faith in the system and in return, to give back the knowledge, answers and guidance received. 

I am came here to find alternate answers or suggestions to finding possible grants for my daughter wishing to continue her edumacation in Culinary Arts! Yes, I misspelled a few wurds hea and dea and may-be my punctuations, are, not! as they should? be?? Does that really matter? Should it?  "Help!" is the general concensus here, not anyone replying to someone's post just to correct them in {their} spelling no matter who they are or what their purpose is in the first place.  Pleasantries out the door! Where has society taken us when we start nit-picking on meaningless and non-life altering or treatening issues like someones' spellin' or punc! 

Want to make yourself feel good about something? Try posting something positive like:

-$4000 Grant for Students Having Trouble Paying Tuition @ www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP , If you are working on your first undergraduate degree and are having trouble paying for bills contact Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants.

-$30,000 To Study the Humanities @ www.neh.gov

-Money for Spouses and Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans to go to School (Survivors and Dependants Educational Assitance) @ www.va.gov .

Information is the key that unlocks many doors. try that sometimes!  I'm sure it'll have you feeling much better about yourself in the long term.

And the best part about the information I posted above.... if you haven't noticed...  unlike the WWW that is full of Hidden Fees or Upfront Cost to apply for these programs, there is none associated with them, you just need to know where to look for the same information these websites charge you for in the first place. no middleman here!

For those of us that are not familiar with how the search engines work, sit back and let me edumacate ya. You see there is a cost to be at the top of the search engine results page! Oh yes, it's called "Pay Per Click" in other terms or words, they pay to be put there on the popular search engines like G88GLE, YOoHOO etc. It is marketing at it's best because 9 out of 10 you're going to click in to see what it or they have to say right? and like most car dealers or salesman & women in general see and understand, getting you in the lot or store is winning the first part of their battle, strategy, plot or what-have-you. Then feed you the hook by putting in the headlines of their link, FREE, NO MONEY or whatever tactic they use to get you to "IMPLUSIVELY" click....(the key word). We are by nature, Impulsive creatures! (to a point, and some more than others) and it's used so frequently because statistics and studies on human nature dictate we will out of either curiousity or hope or compulsion or even all three! Be Careful, because with these big top "Pay Per Click" sites, most have implanted what is called, tracking cookies, spybots and so on... placed there so it follows you by digging in to your systems waiting for you to move on and track your where- abouts and in doing so knowingly still waiting in the weeds for you to put your email address somewhere else then GOTCHA! here's your spam! Are you ready for your Spam Samich? ever wondered why you're now getting emails on stuff you don't even recall ever looking at? Oh, they'll still try to get you to that "FREE INFORMATION" page that you once viewed for like- say 30 seconds even though you knew what they were about??? but this time the emails frequently come to you as "Specail Offer to YOU and for ONLY YOU Mr or MRS.Unsuspecting!"

Again, don't open them! another disguise and surprise is waiting just for YOU! yes, a "LOCKED IN" cookie! that will find it's way into third, fouth, fifth etc etc. handlers or spammers and all sold as to them as potential candidate for stuff you just don't need or care about and unrelated to what you were searching for in the first place...FINDING HELP! One thing you can bet on is that they are and will be unrelenting to help you...part with your money or the money you don't have! Nice thing that some of us have credit cards to help us in these tough times...ALL linked together...funny how tis all works huh?

Like I mentioned, Be Very Careful, Cautious and Vigilant in your efforts to find the answers you seek and always remember, very, very seldom will you find someone willing to help you for nothing i.e. something for nothing...there's always a catch waiting somewhere down the line. oh yeah, and my catch?? is that if anyone knows of a grant, scholarship etc. to help my daughter earn a degree in Culinary Arts and Management  or to help me curve the cost please let me know....Mahalo much! Nahea 

BTW, I have more information that may help.  If you have a particular need please send me a post, reply or email and I will try to see if my book of wisdom can help direct us all in the right direction. I can't promise much but hey, we all gotta start somewhere???

If you were wondering:

I am a recently Retired U.S. Naval Civil Engineer (SEABEE) and Combat Veteran that has seen this world twice over. I have been sent to support areas that have been devastated by Hurricanes -Hugo/Andrew/Iniki/ Katrina, Tsunami in Indonesia, Fires of Malibu, Ca. (several), Earthquakes of San Fransico and Northridge Ca., Evacuation of Military Personnel from Subic Bay/Cubi Point Naval Base and Clark Air Force Base and rebuilding of Subic Bay, Philippines., Construction for Haiti's 20K + Political Refugee's Camp Located in Guantanamo Bay Cuba., Desert Shield & Storm/Kuwait., Kosovo , Somalia, and Iraq Campaigns. Long list of humanitrian and voluntary missions. Originally from the Hawaiian Islands and a Native Son to it that have and has done a fair share for our country. No need for gratitudes or praise...just doing what I believe is the right thing to do.  I now make my home in Illinois which is a long ways from the life and ways of living I once knew as a child. The "Aloha" spirit is still part of my life and is promoted in my travels and as I meet new people...  and if I can help anyone, it's done without need of compensation or reward....well, maybe a simple "thanks" is all that I need.  Aloha Nui Loa & Take Care