Today’s post makes you aware of Four Paws for Noah and a couple of ways you can help fund the training of Appa, an assistance dog for a boy named Noah.

Noah is a nine-year-old boy who struggles with autism. There are two writing contests whose entry fees will go 100% to help pay the cost for Appa’s training.

The “Able is This Diverse Universe Essay Competition” has a March 31, 2016 deadline. You may write an up to 2000-word essay based on the themes of ableism, disability, access, and overcoming. Go to https//honeyquill.submitable.com to submit your essay and $10 entry fee.

The “Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Writing Competition” invites a 100- to 500-word piece of fiction using the theme “a boy’s dog.” This competition has a March 31 deadline and a $15 entry fee. Visit the CarrotRanch.com website. Click on “Events” and then on “Contests” for contest details.

The way I see it, entering these competitions is a win/win situation. Time spent working on a piece for a writing contest is never wasted time. One becomes a better writer by writing. The entry fees going to support such a worthy cause is just icing on the cake.