05-25-2013, 12:18 PM
[#0000FF]Your heart is in the right place...even if your finances aren't. No apologies necessary. A lot of us are in a position where there is limited "net spendable" and nobody expects a family man to take food off the table just to make a cash contribution...to any cause.
And, while Steve has a specific program going, for larger groups, there is nothing that prevents any of us from seeking out someone in need...on a one to one basis.
In the past I have taken both kids and older folks out for a day of fishing...just me and them. There are lots of old timers in vet centers and nursing homes that are former anglers with limitations. A lot of them can still operate fishing tackle but have lost hope of ever being on the water again. It costs little to get them down to a community pond to catch a few planted trout or cats. And these guys...and challenged kids...care not how big the fish are...or what species. Heck, some of them are so happy to get out that they don't even care if they catch a fish.
I'm supposed to be a big tough old bird but I can still get tears in my eyes when I remember one old guy I took on a few close-in trips. I would pick him up at the assisted living center and drive to a spot on the deep water channel...near Sacramento. I'd set the guy up in a comfy chair at water's edge and hand him a rigged rod. He would do his own baiting, casting, hook-setting and reeling in the fish. He used to be a fly-fishing purist but he got plenty of enjoys out of fishing for small cats and other species.
We didn't really talk much while fishing. Didn't have to talk to communicate. And his big
and body language said it all about whether or not he liked being behind a fishing rod again. It was 
to see his shoulders sag and his resigned shuffle as I took him back "home" after a trip.
He really got to depend on me taking him out at least a couple of times a month. Any thoughts I might have had about making excuses not to go were quickly dissolved when I would think of the enjoyment he got from our trips. In fact, when he took a turn for the worst and couldn't go any more I was the one who felt cheated. And when I heard that he had "gone fishing" to that big pond in the sky it was as if I had lost a family member.
My wife and I have participated in the DWR youth angling program in the past too. That is another way that folks can contribute of their time and talents without having to compromise their own finances. And the value given to our kids and future anglers is unmeasurable.
It broke my heart to hear the same stories over and over...from the kids who came through the program. "I want to learn how to fish but my dad doesn't know how and won't teach me." Also common were kids from single parent families, in which the breadwinner parent simply did not have the time or resources to take their kids fishing. There are plenty of those in every neighborhood, without having to go to any kind of agency to find a young fishing buddy.
Hey Dave, sorry about the long reply. Just wanted to remind other folks that money alone is not the complete solution to being able to help. Yes, Steve needs monetary assistance for his program. But his passion is about helping divantaged or physically challenged folks to enjoy fishing. I am sure he would approve of someone making an individual effort outside of his program.
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And, while Steve has a specific program going, for larger groups, there is nothing that prevents any of us from seeking out someone in need...on a one to one basis.
In the past I have taken both kids and older folks out for a day of fishing...just me and them. There are lots of old timers in vet centers and nursing homes that are former anglers with limitations. A lot of them can still operate fishing tackle but have lost hope of ever being on the water again. It costs little to get them down to a community pond to catch a few planted trout or cats. And these guys...and challenged kids...care not how big the fish are...or what species. Heck, some of them are so happy to get out that they don't even care if they catch a fish.
I'm supposed to be a big tough old bird but I can still get tears in my eyes when I remember one old guy I took on a few close-in trips. I would pick him up at the assisted living center and drive to a spot on the deep water channel...near Sacramento. I'd set the guy up in a comfy chair at water's edge and hand him a rigged rod. He would do his own baiting, casting, hook-setting and reeling in the fish. He used to be a fly-fishing purist but he got plenty of enjoys out of fishing for small cats and other species.
We didn't really talk much while fishing. Didn't have to talk to communicate. And his big
and body language said it all about whether or not he liked being behind a fishing rod again. It was to see his shoulders sag and his resigned shuffle as I took him back "home" after a trip.He really got to depend on me taking him out at least a couple of times a month. Any thoughts I might have had about making excuses not to go were quickly dissolved when I would think of the enjoyment he got from our trips. In fact, when he took a turn for the worst and couldn't go any more I was the one who felt cheated. And when I heard that he had "gone fishing" to that big pond in the sky it was as if I had lost a family member.
My wife and I have participated in the DWR youth angling program in the past too. That is another way that folks can contribute of their time and talents without having to compromise their own finances. And the value given to our kids and future anglers is unmeasurable.
It broke my heart to hear the same stories over and over...from the kids who came through the program. "I want to learn how to fish but my dad doesn't know how and won't teach me." Also common were kids from single parent families, in which the breadwinner parent simply did not have the time or resources to take their kids fishing. There are plenty of those in every neighborhood, without having to go to any kind of agency to find a young fishing buddy.
Hey Dave, sorry about the long reply. Just wanted to remind other folks that money alone is not the complete solution to being able to help. Yes, Steve needs monetary assistance for his program. But his passion is about helping di
vantaged or physically challenged folks to enjoy fishing. I am sure he would approve of someone making an individual effort outside of his program.[/#0000FF]
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