AZ - Isabel Mercedes Celis, 6, Tucson, 20 April 2012 - #22

[iSleuth]

I have researched this and found no application or confirmation of non-profit status for the organization. That's what I meant when I suggested that TPD would be following the money trail. :moo:

503c organization is quite alot to establish. YOu need alot alot of documentation and follow up- It is a requirement to have a board of trustees plus plus mission statements accounting bigtime.

It's a BIG deal to become a tax exempt organization! I don;t think there is an evelyn wood speed 503c process either!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I don't see why it was necessary to not only get donations from the medical center fund where RC works, but also from her friend where she works thru this other fund,bring isa home. Tshirts, buttons, candles, etc are sold to the public thru this and the volunteer center, which also seems to be connected to bring isa home. We don't see an accounting of how much has been brought in or where it's going from any of the three donation collectors.[/QUOTE]


This has been my problem with the fundraising. As far as I see, the money goes towards more products to sell, flyers, and signs - which all encourage more donations. It seems very circular and not very effective in actually finding Isa. Yes, signs and flyers keep her face out there, and I am all for that, but I just don't think it makes sense to just do that.

Isn't there an Office Max in the shopping center behind the Celis home? I would think that they would have offered to print flyers or posters, make signs, etc. as a good will gesture and at no charge. Similarly, some of the organizations that sponsor the Bring Isa Home website probably offered to donate items like tee-shirts, bracelets, etc. Reaching out to neighbors in need is a good business practice and insures future community support. :moo:

 

[Lava]

Isn't there an Office Max in the shopping center behind the Celis home? I would think that they would have offered to print flyers or posters, make signs, etc. as a good will gesture and at no charge. Similarly, some of the organizations that sponsor the Bring Isa Home website probably offered to donate items like tee-shirts, bracelets, etc. Reaching out to neighbors in need is a good business practice and insures future community support. :moo:

I THINK in the beginning you could call and pay for them over the phone, or in person, for the flyers. But I haven't heard anything recently about that.

 

[pieper4]

Isn't there an Office Max in the shopping center behind the Celis home? I would think that they would have offered to print flyers or posters, make signs, etc. as a good will gesture and at no charge. Similarly, some of the organizations that sponsor the Bring Isa Home website probably offered to donate items like tee-shirts, bracelets, etc. Reaching out to neighbors in need is a good business practice and insures future community support. :moo:

There is indeed an Office Max. They were taking credit card info over the phone and walking the flyers to the Volunteer Center. They were not donating their services. There is another business which was making/selling car decals for $50 a pop, too. While there may have been some donated goods and services, in this economy, I suspect those were quite limited. Someone paid for a billboard near I19 (IIRC)... but another seems to have been paid for by donations. I contacted the FB page (BringIsaHome) owner early on with some suggestions for donations from two local, sizable businesses, and nothing was forthcoming.

 

[iSleuth]

I'm sure that many regularly practicing Catholics don't know how to pray the rosary. When my mom passed away a little more than three years ago, I wanted to lead the rosary during the brief visitation at the funeral home prior to her cremation. I had to search the internet for a "how to say the rosary" and print it so that I knew what I was doing

Several years ago, DH and I attended a visitation for a friend during which the rosary was prayed. The deceased wasn't Catholic, but someone in his family was and wanted the evening scripture service to include the rosary. Whoever it was had no idea about how to proceed, and there was actually some giggling while folks tried to get the woman leading the prayers on the right track.

With rare exception, the rosary is always included in prayer services for the deceased, and many deceased Catholics have a rosary in their folded hands that is usually removed and given to a family member before burial. In the second part of the "Hail Mary" (Ave Maria) - "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death" - pretty much says it all. Including rosaries in the Bring Isa Home campaign has troubled me from early in this case. :moo:

Wow. yes. troubling.

hugs and Sorry for the loss of your Mom.
My Mom passed away 5 years ago. My Dad passed away 38 years ago when i was 13. I personally did not know every Hebrew word of the prayers we said every day for the first 7 days either ; but the one I said every day for 11 months ( each) is seared into my memory.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Not to argue, but just as an aside. My Dad is a very devout Catholic. We have cremated my Mom, sister and brother in the past 8 years. None had their ashes "interred" in any form. Some were spread at the family plot in Douglas, while others spread at Lake Tahoe... All with a priest present. The Church no longer deems cremation taboo and does not demand interment (burial). Whether this is common for those of Hispanic heritage, I can't say. Just something to consider vis a vis burial.

My mom was also cremated because my dad died very early in life and was laid to rest in his native Canada. I think his family thought that Mom would probably remarry, but she never did. Since she could not be buried with her beloved, Mom asked to be cremated. Her five children each received a portion of Mom's ashes, and my husband and I went to Ontario on Easter Sunday (about three weeks after her passing) to spread my portion of the ashes - along with two dozen of Mom's favorite yellow and purple tulips - on Dad's grave.

The priest who gave Mom the Last Rites and prayed with family as she slipped into eternity happened to be from her parish. He didn't raise an objection when I said that Mom wished to be cremated, but he was taken aback when I said that there would not be a Mass. I wasn't about to argue with him and simply said that I was carrying out my mother's wishes.

Are you suggesting that Isabel could have been cremated? I have never heard of a Catholic child being cremated. I can't imagine that this could be done without someone knowing about it. :moo:

 

[Madeleine74]

Does anyone really believe there are many people left in the greater Tucson area who are not aware of this case and haven't seen Isa's picture at least once or twice? How about the entire state of AZ? This is a national case with national public interest. How much more plastering of Isa's picture is needed? What "search efforts" require funding from the public? Where are these searches to be held?

Why would wearing a ribbon or a plastic bracelet do anything to find Isa?

It all sounds bogus to me and a waste of resources and more of a charade than anything real. A local copy center could print up a couple reams of flyers and that would keep everyone stocked for quite awhile. They would likely donate it, but even if not it wouldn't be much more than $50.

 

[iSleuth]

Does anyone really believe there are many people left in the greater Tucson area who are not aware of this case and haven't seen Isa's picture at least once or twice? How about the entire state of AZ? This is a national case with national public interest. How much more plastering of Isa's picture is needed? What "search efforts" require funding from the public? Where are these searches to be held?

Why would wearing a ribbon or a plastic bracelet do anything to find Isa?

It all sounds bogus to me and a waste of resources and more of a charade than anything real. A local copy center could print up a couple reams of flyers and that would keep everyone stocked for quite awhile. They would likely donate it, but even if not it wouldn't be much more than $50.

Noway ...it's the biggest event and outpouring since 9/11!
:truce:

 

[pieper4]

My mom was also cremated because my dad died very early in life and was laid to rest in his native Canada. I think his family thought that Mom would probably remarry, but she never did. Since she could not be buried with her beloved, Mom asked to be cremated. Her five children each received a portion of Mom's ashes, and my husband and I went to Ontario on Easter Sunday (about three weeks after her passing) to spread my portion of the ashes - along with two dozen of Mom's favorite yellow and purple tulips - on Dad's grave.

The priest who gave Mom the Last Rites and prayed with family as she slipped into eternity happened to be from her parish. He didn't raise an objection when I said that Mom wished to be cremated, but he was taken aback when I said that there would not be a Mass. I wasn't about to argue with him and simply said that I was carrying out my mother's wishes.

Are you suggesting that Isabel could have been cremated? I have never heard of a Catholic child being cremated. I can't imagine that this could be done without someone knowing about it. :moo:

Sorry for the loss of your Mom. We also had Masses for my Mom and brother. My sister was a drug addict and the priest would not officiate a Mass for her; but just a memorial service.

Nope. I'm not inferring that she was cremated, but just pointing out that burial isn't the only Catholic method of laying one to rest any longer. That goes for children, too. Obviously it is up to the family whether to bury or cremate. Hopefully neither has taken place with Isa... hopefully she is still alive.

 

[FrayedKnot]

The trinkets and bracelets are just bread and circuses.

Where is Isa?

 

[galiuro]

Takes at least a couple of months, usually longer, to get 501 3 c approval, so the lack of that doesn't really tell one much of anything...

 

[pieper4]

The trinkets and bracelets are just bread and circuses.

Where is Isa?

I really think the trinkets have less to do with the family directly than it does with volunteers trying to help. People get caught up in such things with good intentions; feeling or hoping that they are truly making a difference.

I know when my brother was dying from ALS I designed the official ALS ribbon. My kids wanted to help in my efforts to raise awareness so would sit for hours each night looping, pinning, and placing the ribbons on cardboard informational cards. They saw me lost in grieving and helplessness, and that's all they could do to help.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Wow. yes. troubling.

hugs and Sorry for the loss of your Mom.
My Mom passed away 5 years ago. My Dad passed away 38 years ago when i was 13. I personally did not know every Hebrew word of the prayers we said every day for the first 7 days either ; but the one I said every day for 11 months ( each) is seared into my memory.

I don't know Hebrew but can recite the Kaddish phonetically.

 

[azmary]

Just thinking about the latest Manhunt le did world wide - what a success!
it is beyond me why these parents let this coverage die in the media. Only one reason for that imo imo imo .
I was wondering what would they do with isa if she were gone. I immed thought of an old graveyard in Tubec. I don't know why. Another weird thought.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Does anyone really believe there are many people left in the greater Tucson area who are not aware of this case and haven't seen Isa's picture at least once or twice? How about the entire state of AZ? This is a national case with national public interest. How much more plastering of Isa's picture is needed? What "search efforts" require funding from the public? Where are these searches to be held?

Why would wearing a ribbon or a plastic bracelet do anything to find Isa?

It all sounds bogus to me and a waste of resources and more of a charade than anything real. A local copy center could print up a couple reams of flyers and that would keep everyone stocked for quite awhile. They would likely donate it, but even if not it wouldn't be much more than $50.

The Celis' arent in control of this fund anyway are they? Maybe those that are thinks this is what they need to do. A large part of the donated monies is going to increase the reward for information concerning Isa's whereabouts.

As far as funds set up that seems to happen in about every case we see where someone is missing whether it is a child or an adult.

I dont have any need to know why or how the money is being spent. Personally, I have given to many funds over the years setup for missing people (adults and children) and even gave to children who had one of their parents murdered by the other parent.

I give the money because I want to and what the family does with it is no concern to me. I dont even care if the family takes the money I sent and goes out and has a nice dinner with their family. Once I give it ....it no longer is my money.

It seems simple to me...those that have a problem with the fund will not give anyway and will not be involved in any monies given. Some of the ones that do actually give may care but I am not one of those. I never expect a spreadsheet or PL statement. We dont file a long form on our taxes so I dont even keep the receipt for the funds that I have given.

IMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

503c organization is quite alot to establish. YOu need alot alot of documentation and follow up- It is a requirement to have a board of trustees plus plus mission statements accounting bigtime.

It's a BIG deal to become a tax exempt organization! I don;t think there is an evelyn wood speed 503c process either!

And that's precisely the reason that I have posted previously that it appears that the Bring Isa Home fund is being operated under the auspices of the already-established TMC Foundation.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

I know that rosaries are prayed at funerals but at least in the Mexican Catholic culture you pray the rosary for an intention or request. We prayed a novena (9 days of prayer) when a family member was ill with cancer.

"Religious devotion, public or private, for the duration of nine days to gain special graces, is called a Novena. Those who perform it with a lively hope of having their request granted, and with perfect faith and resignation if it be refused, may be assured that Christ will grant some grace or blessing. This requires an understanding that in His infinite wisdom and mercy, He may refuse the particular favor which is requested".

As far as I know, this is not uniquely Mexican. (I don't mean anything good or bad by that, just stating my understanding as someone who was raised Protestant but has studied the Church a lot and come to admire and respect it very much.)

 

[iSleuth]

And that's precisely the reason that I have posted previously that it appears that the Bring Isa Home fund is being operated under the auspices of the already-established TMC Foundation.

Now for some really interesting reading, if you haven't done so yet I highly recommend reading @twitter search BringIsaHome...check out---> followers and followees

notice anything?

:hills:

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

I really think the trinkets have less to do with the family directly than it does with volunteers trying to help. People get caught up in such things with good intentions; feeling or hoping that they are truly making a difference.

I know when my brother was dying from ALS I designed the official ALS ribbon. My kids wanted to help in my efforts to raise awareness so would sit for hours each night looping, pinning, and placing the ribbons on cardboard informational cards. They saw me lost in grieving and helplessness, and that's all they could do to help.

I am so, so sorry that you and your family had to face ALS. If it helps at all, I think that your efforts to raise awareness have helped many people.

 

[winterrose]

For anyone who doubts that the parents could do this for money, Kat77 found an interview with the parents on a blog talk site that is VERY revealing. They and their spokesperson spend more time talkig about how to donate than talking about Isabel herself. Kat wasn't sure it could be lnked here- and I'm not sure, either, But resourceful people can find it and listen. It is from May 6. In the interview, Sergio comments that sales of the purple bracelets "are doing well." He's pushing the t-shirts, lol.

OMGosh, I haven't seen it, wish it could be linked since it's an interview they did. I'll google it, I find their interviews very interesting. May 6th was the benefit where he sang Ave Maria and after the service they walked by a reporter and wouldn't talk.