Did You Know That There Is A Beer Competition?

Did you know that there is a beer competition that takes place on a regular basis?


This is an international competition for beer lovers and for those that love to create beer!

This competition is held on a regular basis in celebration of the art and science of brewing by recognizing outstanding brewing achievement around the world. The top three winners in the competition's 70 beer-style categories are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals.

This beer competition has been going on for more than 10 years!. The organization that sponsors this competition was founded in 1978, is a not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to the promotion of quality beers and brewing throughout the world.

The competition is intended to create greater consumer awareness about different beer styles and flavor profiles while promoting international brewing excellence.

You can visit their website for more information on the competition.

Are You Interested In Getting A FREE Car? There is a non-profit organization that is giving away free cars! In order to be eligible you first have to go to the organization's website and fill out their application and create a profile. You then have to get 100 people to vote for you! Since these cars that are given away for free are donated by the public you have to wait until one of the vehicles becomes available for being donated. However once you complete all the application requirements the applicant qualifies to have their application reviewed. Once a vehicle becomes available in a particular geographic location, the organization begins reviewing the applications with the most votes / highest page rank who live in that general vicinity. Even if your page rank is lower than someone else's, you may receive a vehicle if your story is inspirational enough, but we must strongly emphasize that your application is more likely to be reviewed if you have a high page rank. Besides providing free cars this charitable organization can also provide financial assistance for tag/title/registration fees, automobile repairs, preventative maintenance items like oil changes, hoses, belts, batteries, brakes, tires, automotive warranty coverage, roadside assistance memberships, and the down-payment for auto insurance or even the down-payment for a new or used vehicle! The organization can assist with just about anything automotive related as long as the applicant has completed the application, qualifies, and has made the effort. For additional questions you can email them for additional information.

$100,000 Poetry Award!

This poetry award is given annually to honor a book of poetry by a mid-career U.S. poet. The winner will spend one week in residence at a university in the United States.

Poets, publishers, agents, or friends may submit five copies of a book of poetry published.

This award is given annually to honor a book of poetry by "a poet of genuine promise."

Poets may submit five copies of a book of poetry that has been published within a certain time period.

To apply for this poetry award you can send a SASE, call, or visit the web site for an entry form and complete guidelines.

Minority Business Competition! So far a total of $85,000 in grant awards were disbursed to six entrepreneuers in a competition for those who are minorities and want to start their own business. The winners were chosen from 29 finalists, determined in a two-round process. In round one, 160 contestants submitted executive summaries of business plans and in round two, 70 of the finalists were invited to submit full business plans. Contestants in the final round were then required to present their business plans to a panel of business professionals from across the region. The awards are as follows: $25,000 Growth Innovation Award awarded to a bakery business that is providing a healthy food alternative for baked goods/whole foods/produce. $25,000 Business Innovation Award - went to a mortgage broker that originates residential and commercial loans. $10,000 Food Retailer Award - went to a marketer of gourmet food products. $10,000 Neighborhood Retailer Award went to a jewelery business that specializes in special and customized jewelry. $10,000 Technology Trailblazer Award went to a company that provides cashless technologies to government agencies and private operators in the transportation market. $5,000 Emerging Fashion Business Award went to a fashion designer who has an urban clothing line that focuses on positive messages to uplift the African-American community.

Childcare Grant Available For College Students!

A grant program is available to help low income students pay for child care while the student attends classes.

To be eligible for this state program:

• you must be a resident of the state and a U.s> citizen or eligible non-citizen
  
  
• have a child 12 years old or younger (or 14 or younger if the child is handicapped)
  
  
• there are family size and income requirements in order to qualify for this program
  
  
• be enrolled for at least six credits per term
  
  
• NOT have completed four years of postsecondary education. Students who have withdrawn for active military service after December 31, 2002 are given an extra term of eligibility.
  
  
• NOT have defaulted on a student loan

Eligible schools that meet the eligibility requirements are all public postsecondary schools and private, baccalaureate degree granting colleges and universities located within the state or nonprofit, two-year vocational schools granting associate degrees.

The amount of child care assistance depends on:

• The number of people in the student's household
  
  
• The number of day care hours necessary to cover education and work obligations
  
  
• Income of the applicant and spouse
  
  
• The availability of funding
  
  
• The student's enrollment status

The maximum available to a full-time student is $2,600 for each eligible child per academic year. Assistance may cover up to 40 hours of child care per week for each eligible child. In some instances, the maximum award may be increased by 10 percent to compensate for higher market costs for infant care.

The student should apply to the financial aid office at his or her school.

For more information you can view their brochure online.

For more information about other kinds of daycare-related grants, just visit my blog Grant Basics 101 - Daycare.

If you are out of work, you may be able to get money to live on as well as money to pay for entrepreneurial training to run your own business! There are both federal and state programs that provide funding for those who are unemployed but are looking for work! These programs are run with federal money and state money. Each state has different rules and the main idea is that they have money for you to train to get a better job along with money to live on while you are training. These programs are run through special offices that are located throughout the United States. For more information about these kinds of programs and whether or not you are eligible to apply, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Could Your Business Use A Loan?

One restaurant owner was struggling to open up his business. He needed money to install the kitchen stove, hood, and grill. Bank of America turned down his loan request. Desperate for an infusion of cash, he took out a $6,000 loan with a 20 percent interest rate. Then he found out about a non-profit organization that provides loans under $25,000 to new businesses shunned by banks. The restaurant owner was able to get a loan at 12% interest without having to offer collateral.

The non-profit organization that offers this funding program looks at more than just credit history and collateral. According to a spokesperson for the program, "We look for people who have a good idea and who have put some sweat equity into the business,".

In the past this non-profit organization has out over loaned $20 million dollars.

Are You A Budding Entrepreneur? This may just be the grant program for you! In order to be eligible to apply for this grant program you must submit a compelling business story which will be posted and rated online. Everyone who submits a story will receive a chance to win a share of grant money. A panel of judges will rate the entries during. 50 finalists will receive a digital camera plus a $5,000 small business grant and a chance to win $25,000 more by submitting a video version of their story. If you would like to participate in this small business grant program you can visit the website and apply. *NOTE: For more information on small business grants, be sure to click here