Thursday, December 15, 2011

December Newsletter


The holidays can be a time of abundance of food and fabulous feasts for many people. We, at Angel Covers, ask that you please keep the less fortunate in mind during this giving season. It’s easy to overlook or forget how far these programs have come have and what provisions are being made possible through donations. Your support means that many impoverished children won’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from or of what quality it will be. Please keep us, and the children we serve, in mind when considering your year-end charitable donations.

Huaibei

As you already may know, the formula for Huaibei we were previously purchasing from Nestle has been discontinued. We took advantage of the price before having to pay more when we begin buying the new Nestle formula, and purchased 40 cases in July instead of the usual 20. Because of the extra formula on hand at the orphanage, they were able to provide it to the older children with disabilities who need additional nutrition which meant that 35 of the 40 children were able to benefit from this last shipment. The supply has almost run out and we will be reordering formula in the next few weeks. The new formula is NestlĂ©’s Nespray and is of high quality, just like all Nestle formula, and will be well received by the children of Huaibei. This program has allowed the children of Huaibei to be stronger, healthier, and often times ready for needed surgeries. Will you please consider a donation?

Humble Hearts

Nutrition at Humble Hearts is gradually improving! Daily nourishment for the children includes clean water, brought in by truck each week, beans, rice, and maize. Kale is also frequently served to the children but it’s not necessarily a staple. On some occasions the children are fed meat and fruit as well. Vitamins have now become a daily supplement, since our bringing them from a generous donor and are expected to last 3 to 4 months. This is great example of how the children could benefit from additional sponsors or even one-time donations. Learn more about how you can help here.

Humble Hearts harvested their crops in Western Kenya this fall, which produced 75 bags of maize once it was all processed and dried, and one month’s supply of beans. Forty two bags of the maize will be sold to help pay for next year’s crop and the remaining 33 were kept to feed the children. The thirty three bags of maize are expected to feed the school for 4 months.

Another tidbit of good news is that the local price of maize has dropped due to market fluctuations. This is extremely beneficial when it comes to purchasing additional maize when the harvested supply runs out. This frees up funds to pay for other things that are much needed at the Humble Hearts School.

Donation Matching

We’re extremely grateful to have a donor that has agreed to do a 50% donation match, up to $5,000.00 of the total donations received, to benefit Humble Hearts School from now until the end of 2011. If you are thinking about donating please do it now while we have this great opportunity. Since Angel Covers is completely volunteer run, you can rest assured that your money is making the biggest impact possible on the lives of these children. Click here to donate.

Gift Cards

We all know what it’s like to shop for the person who has it all, our child’s teacher who doesn’t need another gift basket, or a friend who is extremely hard to shop for. We have the answer. Angel Covers Gift Cards!!! Make a donation in honor of a loved and we will send a card to them with a personal message from you, explain that you have made a donation in their name, and include a photo or photos showing the nutritional impact that Angel Covers is making with the help of donors just like you. Gift cards to support our nutrition programs include proving fruit to Humble Hearts and formula to Huaibei. To send a gift card to someone on your holiday list follow this link.

The Ultimate Gift

One of the best gifts you could give this holiday season is the gift of sponsorship. It’s a meaningful gift that will help to supply an impoverished child with the essentials that he or she needs to thrive such as basic foods, clean water, education, shelter, and/or medical care. By providing this foundation you offer a child the opportunity to escape the slums of poverty, stop the cycle from perpetuating, and create hope for a better tomorrow.

Our website is up to date with names and photos of children who are in need of your ongoing support. As a sponsor, you or the gift recipient will receive reports on the child and details about how your monthly sponsorship is improving your child’s life. Give the ultimate gift.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." –Winston Churchill

More ways to support Angel Covers

Angel Covers is always in need of additional monetary support in order to continue providing and expanding current programs, and this is no different for our nutrition programs. We are frequently asked for creative ways to support children around the world, especially when making a direct donation isn’t always in the family budget.

• One of the easiest ways to contribute more is through employer matching gifts programs. Many employers will match any charitable donations made by their employees. We encourage you to check with your human resources office to see if your employer participates in gift matching. This would essentially double your monthly contribution.

• Have an old car that you want to get rid of? A lot of companies will pay cash for used vehicles, often times regardless of whether or not they run. I have personally done this. The company came to my home, evaluated the vehicle, made me an offer, towed the vehicle and supplied all of the DMV forms. In my case, it was $750.00. That would buy a lot of formula for Huaibei or quite a few nutritional staples for Humble Hearts!

• Have a yard sale to benefit Angel Covers. With the winter approaching and inevitably locking us indoors it is a great time to go through the attic, garage, and closets and set aside all of the items that you no longer want to keep. By spring you will likely have a large enough pile to make a yard sale worth your while. You’d be amazed at how quickly the bucks add up.

• Are you athletic? Whether it’s a run/walk 5k or a full marathon you can collect pledges from family, friends, or even local businesses in support of your efforts that can be donated to Angel Covers upon completion. To go a step farther you can talk to the charity coordinator at most major events and ask if you can form a team to benefit Angel Covers instead of the select charities that they normally offer. We’ll be there to support you all the way with a Team Angel Covers t-shirt and any promotional materials you might need.

• Is your company willing to make a donation of goods or services? A lot of our employers might be willing to make a one-time monetary donation or a donation of goods that can be used in our annual auction or supplied directly to one of our programs.

• Tax season is almost upon us. For those of you who are fortunate enough to get tax refunds next year it is a great opportunity to donate money you don’t regularly rely on. Don’t want to give it all up? Consider donating a portion of the return.

• Be creative! What interests you? Hold an event at your home or in your community. Ideas include a community tennis tournament with entry fees, dinner parties or a game night with friends and family and charge for tickets, hold a painting contest for children and charge an entrance fee, the possibilities are endless. Events like this not only help to raise money for Angel Covers but also increase the likelihood that those who participate will learn more about our organization through you and become sponsors as well.

Thanks! As 2011 comes to an end, we would like to give a very special thank you to our sponsors for their generous contributions. Your donations have improved the lives of thousands of children around the world and we thank you for helping to make it possible for yet another year. We’re energized about the possibilities that 2012 will bring and honored to have your continued support.

Misty Gllham
Angel Covers, Nutrition Director