ONE YEAR AFTER THE STORMS, SAMARITAN’S PURSE CONTINUES TO HELP JOPLIN TORNADO SURVIVORS

JOPLIN, M.O., May 15, 2012— Within hours of the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse immediately responded to help restore Joplin—and the efforts to help continue in Joplin today. Right after the storm, the organization coordinated more than 6,400 volunteers who cleared debris, removed downed trees, and made emergency repairs on homes for 755 families in need. One year later, Samaritan’s Purse is still working in the area, helping victims in need by rebuilding or repairing tornado-destroyed homes at no cost to the homeowners.

Stephen Bergen, Samaritan’s Purse Case Manager and Volunteer Coordinator in Joplin said, “It’s a real blessing to be involved in this rebuild, because so many of the homeowners tell us they had no other hope. They had no idea how it would happen if Samaritan’s Purse hadn’t come along and told them we are rebuilding their home back. It restores their hope, and I just watch it increase throughout the construction.”

Joplin Rebuild Work:
o Samaritan’s Purse is working to build up to 20 new homes to replace homes destroyed by the tornado.
o Each new home includes a safe room built in the center of the house encased in concrete with a steel door and special steel hinges and deadbolts.
o Construction work is done by volunteers who come from across the country to help. To date, more than 540 volunteers have worked with Samaritan’s Purse constructing homes in Joplin.
o Samaritan’s Purse is still accepting applications for homeowners who don’t have the means to rebuild.

Samaritan’s Purse is a North Carolina-based international Christian relief organization, headed by Franklin Graham, which responds to disasters and other emergencies across the nation and around the world. Last year, Samaritan’s Purse helped more than 3,200 households affected by storms in 10 states through the efforts of more than 20,000 volunteers. In the last 10 weeks alone, Samaritan’s Purse has responded to tornadoes in Arlington and Lancaster, Texas; Henryville and Madison, Ind.; Harrisburg, Ill.; West Liberty, Ky.; and Charlotte, N.C.

Samaritan’s Purse:
Joplin, MO Tornado Response Stats

2011 Stats for Joplin, MO – Tornado response – (5/23/11 to 7/2/11)
• Total volunteers: 6,413
• Total volunteer hours: 51,126
• Households assisted: 755
Joplin Rebuild began October 14, 2011 – numbers from 10/14/11 to current
(up to a two-year commitment)
• To-date total rebuild volunteers: 544
• To-date total volunteer hours: 17,248
• 6 homes repaired
• 2 finish builds (others started and Samaritan’s Purse finished)
• Several new homes are near dedication stages.
• 12 new homes are in various stages of construction and planning
o Of those, 6 are in progress right now (at various stages of construction)
o Still accepting applications for potential beneficiaries
• Projected number of new homes rebuilt: 20

2012 Joplin, MO rebuild volunteer numbers
• Volunteers to-date: 434
• Volunteer hours: 14,006

Samaritan’s Purse-Joplin Anniversary.pdf (211 KB)

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Join Heather at Bambino’s Cafe in Springfield, Missouri on March 22 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. or at Coffee Ethic on March 24 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m (CT). Autographed copies of all of Heather’s books will be available for sale, and Bambino’s is supplying complimentary coffee and panini finger sandwiches!

With over 150,000 readers, Heather sees her books as a way to not only entertain, but to raise awareness of a cause that she’s deeply committed to: fighting human trafficking, the reality of modern day slavery. More than a book signing, graffiti parties are Heather’s unique way to bring people of all backgrounds together, get to know her readers in a relaxed, fun setting, and discuss ways to get involved and help those in need.

For more information contact Heather at heather@heatherhuffman.net or read more at www.heatherhuffman.net.

TUMBLEWEED is Huffman’s sixth book and offers her readers a unique insight to two characters in her international hit THROWAWAY, which made the Top 10 Kindle Best Sellers List in September.

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Wanda Franco Celebrates 25 Years With Digital Print Ink
(Springfield, Mo)…Wanda Franco celebrated her twenty-fifth anniversary with Digital Print Ink, a Springfield, Missouri printing company she has worked for since the late 1980’s. Wanda’s tenure at DPI has seen a lot change in the printing industry, most notably in the emergence of internet business. Still, some aspects of the job never change; she still hand collates certain jobs, for example. That’s not to say the job is dull, of course: “Every day is different” she said. Wanda tries to “keep a cheerful and positive attitude” at work, something her coworkers (past and present) can certainly attest to. Life “goes by so fast; why waste it being crabby?”

Wanda works in the bindery department at Digital Print Ink, where she and the rest of DPI’s staff are ready to meet your full service design, printing, mailing, and marketing needs. Located in the Shamrock Center at 3444 South Campbell Avenue, Springfield, Missouri, 65807.
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The World’s No. 1 Vodka Crowns Winner of the Second Season of the Brand’s Wildly Successful Reality TV Show “Master of the Mix”

NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 18, 2012 — SMIRNOFF®, the world’s best-selling vodka, announced DJ P from Springfield, Missouri as Season Two winner of the brand’s reality television show, Master of the Mix. After making the cut and surviving the cross-country open casting tour with Kid Capri and previous Season 1 contestants, DJ P battled the best of underground talent and preserved 10-weeks of grilling from revered producer and host, Just Blaze, world famous DJ, Kid Capri, model and socialite Amber Rose, and Master of the Mix Season 1 runner-up and noted DJ, Vikter Duplaix, to take home the grand prize of a $250,000 contract with SMIRNOFF and joining DJ Scratch as the “Master of the Mix” as determined by fan voting on the show’s Facebook page.

“I’m so proud of everything we accomplished with Season Two and am honored that we’ll have the opportunity to responsibly raise a glass and celebrate our success with DJ P, a true old school deejay and vinyl purist,” said David Tapscott, Brand Director, SMIRNOFF. “Season Two was everything we wanted and more – from the inspiring contestants to the unique challenges to the fans who helped to consistently make us a global trending topic on Twitter. SMIRNOFF really could not have asked for a better follow-up season!”

Admired and applauded weekly by the judges for his dedication to spinning vinyl, his fellow contestants for his mixes, and the crowds for his skills behind the turntables, DJ P was judged on his technical ability, track selection, originality, and crowd response. As the Season 2 winner of Master of the Mix, DJ P has earned serious bragging rights in the deejay community and is the winner of $250,000 in cash and prizes.

After the casting kick-off, viewers followed DJ P along with 10 other Master of the Mix hopefuls from Los Angeles to New York on a Master of the Mix tour bus, where the chosen DJs were put into unique deejay experiences – from Go-Go in D.C. to House in Chicago and everything in between. In the show’s final episode, DJ M-Squared, DJ Yonny, and DJ P battled it out for the judges to prove their worthiness of the Master of the Mix title, but it was ultimately the fans who voted at Facebook.com/Master of the Mix for their favorite contestant, crowning DJ P as the “Master of the Mix”.

“It feels so surreal – I can’t believe I’m the Season Two winner of Master of the Mix,” said DJ P, Master of the Mix Season 2 Winner. “I was up against some serious competition and really didn’t know how it would all work out because it was up to the fans to decide. I’m just thankful to everyone who supported me and can’t wait to spin for you all this year!”

SMIRNOFF has been at the heart of nightlife culture for generations and continues to be a staple for responsible celebration everywhere. As the Season 2 winner, DJ P will serve as the face of Master of the Mix, making appearances at SMIRNOFF events throughout 2012.

For additional information, please visit www.masterofthemix.com for photos and behind-the-scenes coverage. And while mixing it up, always remember to enjoy SMIRNOFF responsibly.

About SMIRNOFF
SMIRNOFF, the world’s number-one selling premium spirit and the top-selling flavored vodka in North America, traces its heritage back to 19th century Russia. As the most awarded vodka brand in the world, SMIRNOFF has always been known for quality and is enjoyed responsibly in 130 countries around the world. For more information, log on to www.SMIRNOFF.com.

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, SMIRNOFF, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Yogurtini®, a quickly growing and popular self-serve frozen yogurt franchise, today announces the grand opening of its new location in Ozark-Nixa, Missouri, located at 612 N. 25th St., Ozark, MO 65721.

To celebrate the grand opening of Missouri’s favorite frozen yogurt, the Ozark-Nixa location will be giving out FREE frozen yogurt on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Part of the celebration will include an appearance from Yogurtiniman and fun activities for kids. Yogurtini will also be accepting donations in partnership with The Ozarks Literacy Council (OLC) which promotes literacy education in Springfield, Missouri and the surrounding communities by offering free one-on-one training and a variety of literacy programs for expecting parents, preschoolers, kids, teens, and adults to improve reading and writing skills.

“We are so excited to bring Yogurtini to the Ozark-Nixa community,” said Jan Buning, owner of the new location. “We are looking forward to everyone coming out this Saturday to take part in our free yogurt party and experience the fun and creativity of making your own favorite frozen yogurt concoction,” she continued.

The newest location is the sixth Yogurtini location in Missouri. Rapidly building a devoted following of its non-fat, real yogurt, pay by the ounce model and by providing its customers with a unique experience upon each visit. The serve-yo-self® concept allows customers to make their own frozen yogurt creation, creating blends and concoctions, just like a signature martini.

Yogurtini® regularly has classic flavors such as Ultimate Chocolate, Classic Vanilla, Chelsey’s Cheesecake, and Peanut Butter, but there is always a surprise for the more adventurous like Pomegranate Raspberry, Maple Bacon Donut, Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough and Blueberry Tartini. The incomparable Yogurtini® “House” Tart, along with a non-dairy and no sugar added flavor option is always a main stay. At Yogurtini, Flavortini© recipes are created by mixing an array of frozen yogurts and toppings like the famous “Extra Dirty”; a favorite among their loyal following.

About Yogurtini, and YHI, Inc.®:
Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha Nelson and Chelsey Nelson, Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association. The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the press in its native Arizona, where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” in 944 Magazine and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. The accelerated growth of the franchise has been recognized by the national press including Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine. Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses.

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program. http://www.facebook.com/yogurtini or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yogurtini. For more information on Yogurtini® visit www.yogurtini.com. YHI, Inc is the franchise development company for Yogurtini. To learn more about being awarded a Yogurtini franchise visit www.yogurtini.com/franchise . Yogurtini is now offering frozen yogurt franchise area development agreements. Additional Yogurtini franchises are currently under construction and development in Florida, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia and Missouri.

SOURCE Yogurtini

CONTACT: Yogurtini, +1-949-280-9705, info@yogurtini.com

Web Site: http://www.yogurtini.com

Denny Reeves, Minister of Worship and Music at South Gate, will provide powerful, inspiring music to kick things off. PASTORS, LEADERS, LAYMEN…THIS EVENT WILL SET THE TONE FOR YOUR MEN’S MINISTRY in 2012! Contact the South Gate church office at 417-886-3851 to let us know how many men from your church will represented. ALL area men are invited! However, FREE seating is limited, so plan to arrive early.

South Gate Baptist Church is located two miles south of James River Freeway on Campbell, in Springfield, MO.

Get ready to be awakened with the word of God, and to move past the complacency and excuses that have weighed you down. We’ll look forward to seeing you January 29!