An update on Humble Hearts

Yesterday I received unbelievable pictures of Humble Hearts...or where Humble Hearts used to be. It was completely shocking to me to see literally nothing left. I only received 2 pictures, but they really show that nothing remains.

Beatrice told me today that the attorneys involved are associated with organizations like Amnesty International who pay for the services. Part of the problem right now is that offices are closed due to the holiday so they are simply having to wait before they talk to anyone.

She also said that many of the building in the pictures you see still standing either weren't bulldozed because people were threatening to set fire to the bulldozers or have already been rebuilt. Maybe people have asked about Angel Cottage. Angel Cottage is in a completely different area of town and was not effected by this. The children will still be able to move in and attend school there, so we don't have to worry about them fortunately.

Information is painfully slow coming in, but as I know anything I'll let everyone know.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to the rebuilding effort. I don't know yet where we will rebuild, but I do know that rebuilding has to occur. This school is vital to each of the children who attend.

Tragic news from Humble Hearts

On the evening of the 22nd, I received one of the most heart-breaking emails ever from Beatrice. The government of Nairobi, Kenya is working to put a pipeline throughout the city. Sadly, they are simply bulldozing neighborhoods where the pipeline needs to be buried. Approximately one week ago, the government bulldozed Humble Hearts and the neighboring businesses and homes. I've been learning more and more details, but it's clear that most of the school is lost.

We are grateful that the latrines were left untouched and the water tank is safe. As the bulldozers were moving through the school, staff and neighbors were able to safe about 10 of the classroom blackboards and some books. However, all of the classrooms have been flattened as well as the office and kitchen.

Right now the question is where to rebuild the school. Community members are coming together and working with human rights lawyers trying to ensure that this doesn't happen again. Sadly the government is admitting that bulldozing the area was a mistake but are unwilling to help rebuild.

Right now there is a blackout through Nairobi because of intense rains, so I have been unable to get pictures of the destruction. What we know is that are going to need to raise a lot of money in order to rebuild Humble Hearts and allow the children to return to school.

During the holiday season, if there is any way you can help these children regain some of the hope they have lost please go to http://www.angelcovers.org/donation.html and make a donation.

Everyone at Angel Covers is so very sad that this has happened to children who already have so little. Your support through the year has been incredible. Please help us show these children that they will still be able to reach their dreams through an education.

Kari

December already?!

As I got to my office today, I was shocked that the calendar said December 7 already. Didn't my kids just return to school for the year a couple of weeks ago? Since I apparently missed a couple of months somewhere I have so much to tell you.

The annual Gifts From The World auction was a great success. More than $1,900 was raised for the children of Angel Cottage! When adding that to the total we have raised from the sale of holiday cards http://www.angelcovers.org/holidaycards.html and the America's Giving Challenge, more than the $10,000 needed for the matching donation has been raised since October 1. What fabulous donors we have!! The first $5,000 has been sent to Angel Cottage and beds, tables, benches, materials for the fence, food, fuel for the stoves, and many other needed items were purchased for the children. Before school resumes in January, the remaining $10,000 will be sent and even more items will be purchased for these great kids. What an amazing Christmas present you have given them!!!

Speaking of presents... :-) As the holiday's approach, please remember to shop Amazon.com through the Angel Covers' website. By following this link, you will not only get your shopping done, but will also give Angel Covers 4% of your purchase without it costing you anything. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/home/home.html

Searching for the perfect gift? Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/ to complete your search. By using Good Search, Angel Covers will receive $.01 for each search you complete. I know $.01 doesn't sound like much, but just today we received a check for $36.54 because of people around the world designating Angel Covers when using Good Search. I've been using this service for months and I really believe it's just as good as Google and other other big search engines. Plus, through the toolbar, you can shop using Good Shop and Angel Covers will receive even more!

Our gift cards remain a great item for teachers or those who have everything. Our gift cards http://www.angelcovers.org/giftcards.html and greeting cards http://www.angelcovers.org/greetingcards.html make great gifts and make a huge difference in the lives of children all over the world. Plus, there is still time to get custom made blankets, and many other items delivered to you by the holidays. Check out our website for lots of great ideas.

We still have two girls in our Mama's Wish program who need sponsors. For $130 a year or $11 a month, you can send one of these bright young ladies to high school. This would make a great present for someone or a wonderful way to end the year making a life changing gift to a child. Please contact Karen if you are interested in helping. karen@angelcovers.org

Your support throughout the year has changed the lives of children in China, Kenya, and Ukraine. Children are attending school, are receiving plenty of food each day, have new toys to play with, and are hitting developmental milestones they wouldn't have otherwise because of your generous gifts. Please help us end the year by continuing to show these children that each of them have a special place in our hearts.

So very grateful,

Kari

2009 Gifts From the World Auction

Hi Everyone,

This years Gifts From The World auction is up and running! There are more than 75 beautiful items from around the world. The auction is over on Friday the 20th, so bid soon. Every single penny raised will go to finish purchasing items for the children of Angel Cottage, including educational needs like desks, textbooks, and blackboards. We have raised more than $8,600 towards our goal of $10,000. We don't have far to go. With the holiday's right around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to start some of your shopping!

Click this link to view the auction!

Please pass this link on to your family and friends. You have all been incredibly supportive of the children living at Angel Cottage! Here's a great opportunity to not only help these children further, but get beautiful items for yourself or those you love.

Thank you!!

As you know, the America's Giving Challenge ended Friday, Nov. 6. We were so glad to be a part of such a huge challenge. Our little grass roots organization raised just over $7,700 for the children of Angel Cottage and came in 22nd out of more than 7,100 organizations entered. Amazing! Sales of holiday card and donations received directly by us during the month of the challenge raised another $600. The children of Angel Cottage now have more than $8,300 of the $10,000 needed for the matching funds. I can't thank you all enough.

In an effort to raise the remaining $1,700 needed for the matching donation, we will be holding our annual Gifts From The World auction starting this Saturday the 14th through Nov. 20. Please check out these great items donated to us from around the world. Think holiday gifts! Watch our website for a direct link to the auction. http://www.angelcovers.org/giftsfromtheworld.html The items are beautiful!

Please also remember to order your holiday cards. They are selling fast already! All of the money raised through the sale of these cards also go to the children of Angel Cottage. http://www.angelcovers.org/holidaycards.html

Please be sure to join the Angel Covers fan page on Facebook if you haven't already. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angel-Covers/182221079501 We will be posting LOTS of pictures, updates of programs, and news as often as possible. It's a great way to keep up to date with what's happening with Angel Covers.

More than 30 deaf children moved into their new home this week. Because of all of you, they each have their own bed, the wall for the play area is started, and tables will arrive soon. These children have learned how capable and important to the world they truly are because of your support. There's no greater gift.

So very grateful,

Kari

Let's Finish Strong!

Tomorrow at 1:00 MST ends the America's Giving Challenge. At the start of this challenge, we set a goal to raise $10,000. So far we have raised almost $7,600 through this challenge directly. We have also raised another $600+ through the sale of our holiday cards and other donations. Because of all of you, we have less than $2,000 needed before we reach our goal!

Because of the more than $8,200 we have raised and the $4,100 matching donation, the children of Angel Cottage have new beds, a concrete wall is being built to create a safe play area, and tables are being built. Your generosity is turning this concrete building into a true home. The children are looking forward to having room to run and play, to having tables for eating and studying, and to having multiple bathrooms.

As the children prepare to move into their new home, please help us finish this marathon-like challenge strong. With your help, this home will be all they have dreamed it will be.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/16135

So grateful,

Kari

Before and After

I just love before and after pictures! They tell a story better than any words ever can. You may remember the pictures of of the kids crammed in their bedrooms at Angel Cottage. The beds are end to end, side to side, in small rooms with 2 and 3 children sleeping in each. Today, I got the best "after" picture of the girls' room at the new Angel Cottage!

I know that walking between beds seems completely normal. It is to most of us. But these girls have been living in very tight, very unhealthy rooms for the past 2 years because they have no where else to go. As soon as the kids move into the new Angel Cottage, they are going to feel like they are living in a mansion!

Angel Covers has a new fan page on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angel-Covers/182221079501 We will post pictures and updates from all our programs on a regular basis. Join us and see lots of before and after pictures as soon as we receive them.

Your support of the America's Giving Challenge is making Angel Cottage a home. Keep up the good work!

So grateful,

Kari

Moving forward

The America's Giving Challenge is moving forward and so is Angel Cottage. Beds and mattresses are being moved in and the paint smell is on the way out. Beatrice and I decided to wait a week for the home to warm up and the paint smell to leave. It got quite cold in there after lots and lots of cold water was poured on the new concrete to help it cure. The walls have been painted a bright, cheerful yellow, and the dining room floor is red.

As the children prepare to move, we continue to work towards raising $10,000 for their needs. In the past 48 we have raised more than $250 and now only need to raise another $2,300 to meet our goal. A local girl scout troop recently donated more than $24 in change to help this cause. Way to go girls! More and more people are also purchasing holiday cards, with 50% of the cost of these cards going straight to the kids. http://www.angelcovers.org/holidaycards.html Additionally, our annual Gifts From The World auction will begin on Nov. 14 with all the proceeds going to the needs of Angel Cottage. http://www.angelcovers.org/giftsfromtheworld.html

The America's Giving Challenge ends on Nov. 6 at 1:00 MST. In the next 5 days, please ask as many people as you know to donate just $10 for these children, purchase holiday cards, or spread the word about our auction. Each of these is a way for you to provide vital assistance to the children of Angel Cottage. They are dreaming big because of the support from hundreds of people around the world. http://apps.facebook.com/causes/16135/4968685?m=e56504ed

Thank you for helping make their dreams come true!

Kari

Please help us finish strong!

On October 7 Angel Covers entered the America's Giving Challenge and the support was overwhelming. In the past 3 weeks more than $7,300 has been raised. With a goal of $10,000 we are on track to meet this goal for sure.

In the next 6 days until this challenge is over, we need the support of everyone possible. A donation of just $10 will completely change a child's life. The $7,300 raised already has been done primarily because hundreds of people were willing to donate $10 and ask others to do the same.

The children of Angel Cottage will soon be moving into their new home. Because of so many generous people, they will have new beds, sheets, blankets, sewing machines, and a fenced play area. Because of so many of you, this house is quickly turning into a home for the 35 children who live there...not to mention the several who are already planning on moving in this January.

In these last 6 days of the challenge, let's not stop working toward out goal. The children of Angel Cottage are working every day to prove to themselves and the world they are capable of great things. Please join me in working with these children to show the world what amazing potential they have.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/16135/4968685?m=5c768c22&ref=mf

So very grateful,

Kari

Friday, October 30 at 1:00

The next daily challenge starts Friday the 30th at 1:00. As I type this, I'm both excited about what we have accomplished and hopeful that we will reach our goal of raising $10,000. In the next 8 days, we have the opportunity to raise an additional $2,700 for the children of Humble Hearts; children like Yvonne.

Yvonne is in nursery class, is learning sign language and knows her letters and numbers. She loves to sing, dance, and is wonderful at crafts. Yvonne is very creative and loves to draw the traffic police and other things she sees on the street. Yvonne is always careful to be sure her hair is braided in beautiful straight lines because she believes girls should have long hair, so it makes sense that she's interested in pursuing a career in design.

The past 2 days, Denver has been very cold and snowy. With more than 20" of snow at my house, I've looked outside many time thinking about how lucky we are to be able to sit in a nice warm house, and have warm beds at the end of the day. And, I'm grateful beyond words that because of your generosity, the children of Angel Cottage will have new warm beds too.

As we all get ready for Halloween this year, please consider purchasing 1 less bag of candy, or one less wig and donation $10 instead. Throughout this challenge, we have asked a lot of our supporters. We've asked you not only to donate, but to ask others to do the same. Now I'm asking you be as grateful and I am for everything we have and all we have been able to accomplish, and as you do that please consider continuing the fight for the kids and their future. Every single person who has donated is changing the lives of these children.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/16135/4968685?m=e56504ed

Always grateful,

Kari

It's time for us to get fired up!

The America's Giving Challenge has been going on for 3 weeks now, and I for one needed to take a little time off from it....and no doubt so did all of our supporters. Everyone who knows me well knows that it's not easy for me to ask for help, especially on a daily basis. I want the children of Humble Hearts and Angel Cottage to have every chance in this world, but I'd prefer that everyone just find our website and be moved to help without having to say much. This isn't a very good marketing plan, nor is it very realistic.

So, instead I'm going to ask all of you to start calling friends, family members, and neighbors. At the start of this challenge, we set a goal to raise $10,000 for the children of Angel Cottage. Right now we are more than 2/3's of the way to that goal! Truly amazing.

Beds are being ordered, a fence will soon be built, sewing machines and other materials will soon be purchased....all of these things will be done because of the generosity of so many of you. Because of all of you, these great kids will have their own beds, will have a safe place to play, will learn a skill, and will have a new and bigger space to learn.

Please, let's all get fired up and finish the last 10 days of this challenge by spreading the word about these kids, their needs, and most of all their potential. We are so close to our goal! I know we can do this if we all continue to work together.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/16135/4968685?m=e56504ed

Kari

Friday, October 23 at 1:00pm MST

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 AT 1:00 MST

Joel and his mom came to Humble Hearts yesterday looking for a school for Joel. He is 4 years old, deaf, and lives with his mom who is barely able to afford her rent and food for the two of them. Because the new Angel Cottage is almost completed and so many people have come together to help us in the America's Giving Challenge, Joel's mother was told he could move into Angel Cottage in January and begin attending school.

During the past two weeks of the Giving Challenge, I've been talking about giving the children of Angel Cottage a home, and all of the things children deserve in their home...loving care-givers, their own beds, books, space to play. But, Joel has reminded me that this challenge is about so much more.

This challenge is all about giving these children a chance at a life that is completely different than they were born into. Because people around the world have come together to build Angel Cottage and put everything in it the children need, Joel will learn a language. Joel will learn math. He'll learn to read. Most importantly, Joel will learn he is capable. He'll start dreaming of a future that doesn't include wondering where his next meal is coming from or if his tin shack is going to leak during the rainy season.

Friday, October 23 at 1:00 starts the next daily challenge. Because of so many people, Angel Covers has won $500 in this challenge twice. Please help us this Friday by donating and asking others to do the same. This challenge isn't about beds and tables. It's about hope and dreams...it's about futures. http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?cause_id=16135

Continuously grateful,

Kari

Angel Cottage is almost completed!

Months ago we started selling bricks to raise money for the construction the new Angel Cottage. For just $10 per word, donors purchased the opportunity to have their names or a short message carved into the bricks of Angel Cottage. These names were going to be carved into the bricks in the dinning room so the children of Angel Cottage would always see their inspirational messages and names of those who want them to succeed.

I received word today that construction workers are ready to start carving bricks! This is wonderful news because it means construction is very close to being finished. Each and every donor will soon be getting a picture of his/her brick. The children who move into Angel Cottage on Nov. 1 will see these wonderful messages and names as soon as they walk into the dinning room, and will be inspired to reach for the stars.

Because of our amazing supporters through the Giving Challenge, $5,000 of the money raised to make this house a home will be going to Humble Hearts this week. This money will be used to purchase additional beds, wardrobes, sewing equipment to learn a trade, and tables. We will be working hard to be sure these items are at Angel Cottage as soon as the children move in. Because of all of you, very soon these children will not have to share a bed, and for the first time will have tables for dining and studying.

On Friday, October 23 at 1:00 MST Angel Covers will be working to win the $1,000 daily bonus. Please continue to spread the word about the Giving Challenge! The children of Angel Cottage have hope because of all of you. http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?cause_id=16135

So very grateful,

Kari

Let's keep fighting for the kids!

We have taken a couple of days off from talking about the Giving Challenge, but we are no less committed to providing for the deaf children of Humble Hearts. Since the challenge started almost 2 weeks ago, we have raised more than $6,700. Hundreds of people have donated to provide beds, tables, blackboards, desks, books, wardrobes, and other items all kids deserve to have in their home.

Children such as 11 year old Cynthia, who was born deaf and not allowed to attend school because her mother worked nights and slept during the day. She was allowed roam through the slums with no supervision and little food. When Cynthia first came to Humble Hearts at the age of 7, she not only began attending school, but she had a safe home for the first time in her life. For the first time, she knew she would be fed each and every day.

It's for kids like Cynthia that we took on the exhausting challenge. All of us know that working to spread the word about the daily challenges and finding new donors in order to move up in the overall challenge is not only exhausting, but also exciting, humbling, and completely overwhelming.

The children who live at Angel Covers face even bigger challenge each and every day. Please continue to spread the word about this challenge. Each and every one of us are able to take on the Giving Challenge and reduce the challenges faced by Cynthia and others.

http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?cause_id=16135

So very grateful,

Kari

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

I just wanted to thank you all so much for your help in the past 10 days! All of your support lead us to win 2nd place today and $500 for the kids of Angel Cottage. In the past 10 days, we have won $500 twice and raised more than $6,600!! With the matching donation, we have over $9,900!! This money will be used to purchase the following items....

A concrete "fence" for the enclosed play area...$4,840
10 New bunk beds, mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows....$3,000
One new stove....$1,600
Sewing machines and supplies...$250

Without everyone's help, the children of Angel Cottage would still not have a bed to themselves, they would not have a safe place to play, they would not be able to learn a trade like sewing, and the house mom's would have to cook on a tiny stove.

Everyone who donated and/or passed the information on to others helped us win $500 today. More than that, all of you helped the children of Angel Cottage win a life they could only dream of. You should all be so proud!!

Grateful beyond words,
Kari

1:00 MST on Saturday

1:00 MST, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Veronica needs your help. She is 9 years old and lost her hearing after being severely burned when she was 2. Her parents found Humble Hearts in 2005 and were thrilled. They never thought she would be able to attend school. Now she lives at Angel Cottage and is a wonderful student.

Please donate $10 by Saturday at 1:00 MST and help us win the daily award of $1,000. We are so close to first place! Your donation and this bonus will be matched by 50%, so it will help even more. We have raised more than $5,100 for these kids who never would have had a chance to learn and thrive without your help. Your donation will help Veronica and so many like her have the childhood we all want for our own children.

Just go to http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?cause_id=16135 to donate $10 and pass this link on to as many people as possible. Call your friends, families and neighbors. I promise you I have. We are only 8 donations out of first place. I know that by working together we can make this happen for Veronica and her friends!!

Always grateful,

Kari

Friday, October 16 at 1:00pm MST

Friday, October 16 at 1:00pm, MST

We need your help tomorrow! Angel Covers is going to try for the daily bonus from 1:00 MST on Friday to 1:00 MST on Saturday. In order to win the $1,000 bonus we need everyone to donate $10 and ask your friends and family to do the same. Just go to http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?cause_id=16135&recruiter_id=4968685 and help us have the most donors on Saturday.

Every single dollar donated will be matched by 50%. Grace, Kennedy, Douglas, Cynthia, Jane, Peter, Christopher, Emily, Nelly, and Askin....these are just a few of the kids who live at Angel Cottage. These are just a few of the kids who would never have received an education without the help of people around the world. I believe with all my heart that these children have huge potential...the potential to change their lives and the lives of others. But in order to do that, they must have our help.

Please go to http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?cause_id=16135&recruiter_id=4968685 and donate $10 tomorrow. And please, ask as many people as possible to do the same. We not only need to win this daily challenge, but we need to move up from 10th place overall to the top 7.

The America's Giving Challenge isn't over for another 3 weeks. It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of perseverance to win more daily challenges and finish in the top 7. But, I know that if we work together, we'll make this happen....for the kids.

Kari

Changing lives already

In the week since the America's Giving Challenge started, Angel Covers supporters have donated more than $4,100. Amazing! Because all of these donations are being matched by 50%, more than $6,150 is available to the children living at Angel Cottage.

Christine now lives at Angel Cottage and attends Humble Hearts. She is 8 years old and lost her hearing after contracting meningitis at the age of 3. None of her family members know sign language, and she was placed in a school for hearing children because her single mother couldn't afford a special school. Christine is now sharing a bed with 2 other girls, has no play area, no electricity, and must bail water from the floor when it rains.

A new, much more spacious, Angel Cottage will be completed and ready for the children to move in on Nov. 1. It will have electricity, running water, plenty of room to run and play, and a large dining room. Because of your donations through this challenge, kids like Christine will have a safe, fenced in play area and will now have a bed all their own.

Please ask everyone you know to give just $10 to this challenge. Kids like Christine deserve to live in a safe, loving home with room to play and study. Tables, chairs, book shelves, blackboards, and desks are all still needed to give these kids the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Friday, Nov. 16 at 1pm MST we will be launching our next daily challenge attempt. If we have the most donations by 1pm MST on Saturday we will win another $1,000 for these kids. We must work together to get more and more people donating $10 in order to make these kids dreams come true. Please help! http://apps.facebook.com/causes/16135

Grateful always.

Kari

"It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act."-- His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, Fourteenth Dalai Lama, 1992

A friend sent me this quote today and I just love it. I've been told many times by many different people that they don't donate to Angel Covers because they feel like they wouldn't be able to give enough to make a difference. I certainly understand the concern, but I think the America's Giving Challenge is a perfect example of how every single dollar, every single donation, make a HUGE different.

In the past week, Angel Covers has been asking you to spread the world about this challenge and together we have raised more than $3,500. Most of this has been raised through $10 donations! $10...the cost of a pizza, going out to lunch with a friend, or some Halloween candy. This $3,500 is being matched by 50% and will then become $5,250. Through $10 donations, a new fence can be built so deaf children like Samson, Jane, Michael, Stephen, and so many others can have a safe outside area to play in. New beds will also be purchases so these children no longer have to sleep cramped with other children in their bed.

For the cost of a couple of cups of coffee, we are changing the lives of deaf children; letting them know that they deserve the same opportunities and living conditions our children have.

Angel Covers is working hard to win the next daily challenge of $1,000. It's a very tight race between 3 organizations right now and we are in 3rd place. Please, even if you have already donated $10, consider donating $10 and helping us change the world.

Truly, $10 is changing lives.

Grateful always.
Kari Fillmore

Reflections

"No matter how insignificant what you do may seem, it is important that you do it." Gandhi

As soon as I read this quote this morning, I knew it stated perfectly what I have been feeling for the past several days. So many people have told me they don't feel like donating $10 to Angel Covers through America's Giving Challenge is enough. They either didn't donate because $10 just "isn't enough to help" or they donated much more. And yet, $10 alone is completely changing lives.

When I met Michael 4 years ago, he was 18 years old. He was living with this mother who was barely able to feed her 5 children. Michael had always dreamed of receiving an education, but being born deaf, his father dying when Michael was very young, and living in the slums of Nairobi always prevented this dream from materializing. Now Michael is 22 years old, lives at Angel Cottage, and attends the Humble Hearts school for the Deaf. He shares a twin bed with one other child, has very few personal belongings, and is one of the nicest "kids" I've ever met.

Donations of only $10 will change Michael's life and the lives of all of the children living at Angel Cottage in ways they can only dream of. A donation of $10 will help purchase a bed so this young man doesn't have to squeeze in a small twin bed with another children because no other beds are available. $10 will purchase food for Michael so he doesn't have to wonder where his next meal is coming from. $10 will buy him socks with no holes or a chair to sit in for dinner. $10 will buy him the opportunity to dream of a time when he graduates from secondary school, continue on to college, and stop wondering how he's going to support himself.

A $10 donation to the America's Giving Challenge will be matched by 50% and make even more dreams come true for Michael and others like him.

If you haven't donated to this challenge, please donate soon. We are going to work hard to win the daily challenge from 3pm eastern on Monday the 12th to 3pm eastern on Tuesday the 13th to win the $1,000 first prize or the $500 second prize so that your $10 donation will go even further. In order to do that, we need the highest number of individuals donating $10. Please ask every single person you know to donate to change Michael's life. Every single person who donates $10 helps us move closer to the goal of providing these children with the home they will never have otherwise. This challenge isn't about raising the most money; it's about the greatest number of people coming together to meet a need.

No matter how insignificant $10 may seem, it is important that you donate and ask others to do the same. All of us coming together can truly change the world.

https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=16135

Grateful always,

Kari

America's Giving Challenge

Yesterday the America's Giving Challenge began and the response has been overwhelming. In the first 24 hours, our supporters have come together and donated more than $2,000. Because so many different people donate, Angel Covers also received a $500 bonus donation from Giving Works. To say we are grateful would be an understatement!!

Throughout the evening, I keep thinking of the hundreds of people coming together to help 35 kids in Kenya. Sure, in a couple of short months, additional kids will come to Angel Cottage and learn how wonderful the staff and kids are. They will move in, begin going to school (many for the first time ever), and discover they have capabilities they were never encouraged to discover. Kids like Jane, who was raped and thrown out to live on the streets. She recently moved into Angel Cottage and is now learning that having HIV doesn't limit your abilities or your potential. But even after Angel Cottage is full, hundreds of you around the world will have come together to help 80 children. What a beautiful message that sends to these kids!

Please continue to spread the word about the America's Giving Challenge. This challenge doesn't end until Nov. 6 and we are again close to winning at least $500 tomorrow. Remember, the cause with the most individuals donating to their cause will win daily challenges as well as the overall challenge. That means that 4 individuals donating $10 each ranks us higher than one person donating $50. For most of us $10 is lunch out with friends, a cheap pizza for dinner, or a couple extras at the grocery store. During this challenge, $10 will completely change Jane's life and the lives of so many others like her.

Please go to our website, http://www.angelcovers.org/ and click on the blue America's Giving Challenge box in the middle of the page. Pass this link to as many individuals as you can. What a powerful picture it is to think about hundreds of us coming together to show these kids how special they are and how much potential they have.

Kari

I'm excited to announce that Angel Covers has joined the Facebook Giving Challenge. The Giving Challenge runs from Oct. 7 to Nov. 6 and tracks individual donations of $10 or more to Facebook causes and give a $500 and $1,000 bonus each day to the cause who has the most individual donors. At the end of the Challenge, the cause with the most individual donations (regardless of the dollar amount raised) will be given a $50,000 bonus, with additional bonuses for the 2nd - 7th place causes.

Angel Covers is building a home in Nairobi, Kenya for deaf and orphaned children. This home, Angel Cottage, will be completed and ready for the children to move in on Nov. 1. The current Angel Cottage is grossly overcrowded, has no electricity, one bathroom, and serious flooding problems. The new Angel Cottage will provide the children with enough room to run and play, as well as electricity and running water. But in order to make this new house a home, we need your help.

Currently the 35 children living at Angel Cottage are sleeping 2-3 to a bed, have to climb over beds and children just to get to their bed, are living in a building made of tin, and have no tables for meals. We would like to make the new Angel Cottage not only more spacious, but the home our children have. We want each and every child to have his/her own bed. We want them to have tables where they can eat and do homework, showers rather than sponge baths out of rubber tubs, lots of flushing toilets rather than 1, and a fenced in play area. We would like these children to have bookshelves and books to fill them, wardrobes for their clothes, and the materials necessary to learn a trade such as sewing.

Please help us give these beautiful children all of the things our children already have; a safe, healthy, comfortable place to learn and grow. All of the proceeds from the Giving Challenge will provide the deaf children of Angel Cottage with these items. A very generous donor will also provide a 50% match to each and every donation that comes in for this need up to $5,000. Please help us achieve our goal of raising $10,000 or more for these kids!

Throughout the next month, lots of pictures and stories about these amazing children will be posted. You will have the privilege to get to know them like I do. These are children who have the potential to do great things. They can truly change the world. Please, help us change their world! Make a donation through this link http://www.causes.com/causes/16135 of just $10 and ask your friends and family to do the same. If you don't already have a Facebook account you'll need to set one up, but isn't it worth it for these children? Every single person can make a difference. Please help us today!

Thankful everyday for all we have,

Kari