On October 17th, a slew of Texas music legends including Willie Nelson, the Dixie Chicks, and George Strait played a benefit show at the Erwin Center for the victims of the Central Texas fires. That event raised a staggering $725,000 to go towards the Central Texas Wildfire Fund. The CTF and the Austin Community Foundation have gathered upwards of $1.2 million dollars together for fire relief, and now they're starting the grant process. more ›

What better way to celebrate Sunday leisure then a day at the farm? The Green Corn Project’s upcoming fall festival fundraiser has all the right ingredients for an afternoon celebrating food, family and farming. Put those manual labor worries aside; no actual gardening is required, and the only way hands will get dirty are from finger foods courtesy of top area restaurants like La Condesa, Barley Swine and Wink. more ›

The non-profit sector has fallen on hard times in the past few years, and with many government funded programs receiving budget cuts, things are looking even more gloomy, but one local non-profit received some serious props this week. more ›

LouAnne Aponte, former executive director of Family Connections, was arrested today when her flight from Caracas landed in Houston. She surrendered to officials, is being transported to Travis County Jail, and is expected to arrive in Austin later this afternoon. Mrs. Aponte faces charges of tampering with government records (among other possible charges). She is accused of stealing over $500,000 from area nonprofit organizations. Her husband had been arrested earlier this year on related charges. [Statesman] more ›

The 14th Annual Empty Bowl Project happens this Sunday. This fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank is a fun way to do good while eating lunch -- plus, you get a nifty bowl along with your meal! For $15, you pick out a bowl decorated by area potters or students, then fill it up with delicious soup provided by local chefs. more ›

Austin's Green Gate Farms will play host this Saturday to the first annual Hoedown for a Heifer. The hootenanny -- which will feature local bands like Dark Water Hymnal, Atomic Duo and Sour Bridges -- kicks off at noon. Raffle prizes are available with the proceeds going to Heifer International, a non-profit organization that seeks to end hunger by providing communities with livestock that promotes self-reliance and sufficiency. more ›

One of our favorite Austin landmarks, the Paramount Theatre, started repairs on its almost 100-year-old plumbing system this morning. The Paramount says that work "is being done to repair plumbing problems that require immediate attention." Programming will continue as usual (but the downstairs men's room may be closed since a large hole has been dug in the concrete in front of it). At this point, the estimates for these improvements on the aged plumbing system range from between $10,000 to $20,000. Paramount is accepting donations towards these repairs; donations of $250 or more could get you a DVD of home-improvement classics . [Paramount Theatre] more ›

Tomorrow from 5:30 to 7:30PM, Gibson Bar plays host to Club Red, a new young professional organization dedicated to supporting the American Red Cross. more ›

In response to increased demand, Austin’s Meals on Wheels and More has begun placing about 140 clients on a waiting list for services. more ›

With increasingly devastating reports about the vastness of the destruction caused by the oil spill in the gulf, it's hard not to feel helpless. We seem to know what to do in the event of natural disasters - there are handful of reliable charities we can count on to do good work with our donations. But in the case of the gulf coast oil spill, it's not that simple. It's easy to blame BP and ignore the complexity of the issue (and the fact that our own reliance on fossil fuels is, in no small part, also accountable for the situation). There are ways to help - many organizations along the coast are mobilizing volunteers, rescuing oil covered wildlife, and addressing the basic needs of people affected by the disaster. Is it frustrating to throw time and money at a problem that BP should have fixed by now? Sure, but it's becoming increasingly unbearable to sit back and watch as animals die, people go without paychecks, and injustice prevails. Here's a list of some of the organizations that are collecting money, donations, and volunteers to help with the gulf coast recovery. more ›

Louanne Aponte's husband, Marco Aponte, was arrested Thursday on money laundering charges. Mrs. Aponte is accused of embezzling nearly $500,000 from two nonprofits: Family Connections and Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. In the case of Family Connections, Mrs. Aponte allegedly falsified financial statements used in securing government funding -- which subsequently led to the shuttering of the organization. more ›

Surrounded by news reports of overwhelming devastation in Haiti, we've compiled a list of aide organizations that are collecting funds to assist with the Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Currently, groups like the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders can do the most good with monetary donations (it's too costly and time consuming to ship in-kind donations to the disaster area). Mayor Lee Leffingwell has called on Austinites to "rally in support of the people and families devastated by [the] earthquake". Doctors Without Borders - Doctors Without Borders has already treated more than 1,000 people on the ground in Haiti; the organization has extensive experience offering medical services in response to catastrophic events. Doctors Without Borders is currently setting up an inflatable field hospital, with two operating theaters, staffed with surgeons, anesthetists, and stocked with medical supplies. Donations can be made directly to Doctors Without Borders online with a credit or debit card. Online retailer Small Dog Electronics is matching funds of up to $200 per individual of donations to Doctors Without Borders through their website. more ›

State Senate starts off the session with a tense closed-door discussion on the two-thirds rule. It's official: Straus is now Speaker of the Texas House after a unanimous vote. Because of confusion re: the permitting process, City Council mulling over a temporary hold on outdoor music permits. The helicopter crash yesterday on the A&M campus killed a Lufkin soldier. Meals on Wheels and More accepting converter box coupons to pass on to their homebound clients. T. Boone Pickens hopes that some stimulus funds will go towards converting commercial trucks to natural gas. 1978 Dallas rape/homicide case overturned by an appeals court, meaning a man who's been on death row for 30 years could soon be freed. more ›

Helicopter crash this afternoon on Texas A&M campus. As expected, Strayhorn made her official mayoral campaign announcement today. Texas comptroller says that state revenue will be down $9.1 billion in the next two years. Texas AG announces new online charity service. The Texas Lege starts up tomorrow at noon; here are some of the issues they'll be taking on. Soon-to-be Speaker of the House names a Dem as his chief of staff. American Idol suing an Austin strip club for their 'Stripper Idol' contest. more ›

As part of the upcoming HAM-up Tweetup benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank, Tyson Foods put up a blog post with figures on the Austin-area hungry and how the food bank works with area non-profits to get food to those in need. Not only is the post enlightening, but beneficial: for every comment left on their post, Tyson resolves to donate 100 pounds of food (up to 35,000 pounds) to our food bank. Even a one-word comment, such as "Cool", counts. [Tyson Foods Hunger Relief: Hunger in Austin--Something you can do to help] more ›

Language Room fans rejoice: their new handmade EP is available at shows (next gig is Sept. 13 @ Red Eyed Fly), and they're heading into the studio soon to start work on a full-length, to be produced by Blue October's Matt Novesky. more ›

Two arrests so far in the investigation into the polygamist compound near Eldorado. Local cyclists spoke out at City Council candidates forum last night. Akins High School teacher accused of improper relationship with student applied to marry the 17-year-old girl. Farewell, Pinkdome! San Antonio airport flooded with NCAA basketball fans flying out after last night's game. more ›