We start the New Year, the new decade, and our coming 25-year in publication birthday with a solid footing because each of our advertisers has renewed their advertisement for another year. They are reaching out to conduct business with you, our reader, and we need you to let them know you are a Port Of Harlem (POH) reader when your respond to them by phone, email, or your presence.

We also move forward a bit short, but with enough money to fund all the Port Of Harlem Gambian Education Partnership (POHGEP) projects in The Gambia for now.  Every time I read about a British couple’s project in The Gambia and their delivering “Christmas” gifts in the 90 percent Muslim country, I am grateful to our non-imperialistic footprint, and our funders, Christians and non-Christians, Africans and non-Africans.

We are thankful for the few reader who have taken advantage of low cost ways to donate to POHGEP and other non-profits. Not using these systems is the same as your giving your money away to the government to distribute.

One way to donate to POHGEP at no cost to you is to use the Smile.Amazon version of Amazon. To not use it means you are allowing Amazon to keep the funds it would give to us.

Another way is to take advantage of the law that allows donors aged 70 1/2 and older to direct distributions from their IRA to charitable organizations without incurring income tax on the withdrawal.

We look forward to 2020 and our birthday in November with our advertisers, readers, funders, associates in The Gambia, and most happy that you are coming with us into the New Year!