Warmth

Here are few things in the world more wonderful than being warm. We've all been too cold and it's just miserable. You shake and shiver, and try everything you can to get warmer. Fortunately childen in an oprhanage in Anhui now will be warm the rest of the winter and cool this summer. Thanks so much many generous donors, Angel Covers was able to purchase 2 heating/air conditioning units for the Huaibei, Anhui SWI. Unforunately, it was about 40 degrees in the baby rooms! Now these kids will be warm and cozy all winter.

In Kenya, it's always warm...at least that's how it seems to me. The temperature rarely drops below 60 degrees and it certainly doesn't snow. In the summer, the temperature can reach well over 100 degrees and the humidity is horrible. Although the kids at Humble Hearts don't need heaters, they do need a home. Many are without families to care for them, or have families who don't understand all they are capable of regardless of their deafness. Angel Cottage was orginally built for 25 of these children. Now it's home to 36 and is frighteningly full. A new Angel Cottage is currently being built, but unfortunately construction costs are only going up. So many people have helped the construction continue. If you would like to do the same, please go to http://www.angelcovers.org/donation.html and help this project continue. Everyone who donates at least $10 will have his/her name put on a brick at Angel Cottage. Considering donating in honor of a loved one too. Everyone will recieved a picture of their brick. Please help us cover the walls with names, so the children of Angel Cottage will understand how many people around the world care about them.

Giving children a warm, safe place to live is vital. Thank you for all you are doing to be a part of this mission.

Kari Fillmore

Good News from January

First I want to thank all of you who helped LWB win the Facebook Challenge! They are overjoyed and now 10 babies will get the heart surgery they need. How perfect is that?!

Speaking of heart babies....Angel Covers had agreed to help raise funds for baby Cong before LWB won this challenge. Now she is fully funded! To those of you who donated....THANK YOU! We will be getting those funds to LWB this week and I'll keep you updated on her surgery.

Baby Hua's care was also fully funded in January. You may remember that he was the TINY baby born prematurely. He is doing better and better each day. The update I received yesterday is that he is eating on his own every 2 hours and weighs 3.6 lbs. up from 2.2 lbs. He will still be in the hospital for a while, but I was thrilled to hear about his improvements.

Angel Covers was also able to purchase 40 cribs for the Chuzhou orphanage. The director asked if they could have even more, so another 25 will be sent. If you'd like to help with this need, please go to http://www.angelcovers.org/donation.html. They really could use another 40, rather than 25. The director told us that the kids were so excited when the new cribs arrived they had a terrible time gong to sleep. :-) We have also ordered baby bouncers for them, which are expected to arrive next month.

Isn't this little girl adorable! That is from our nutrition program in Huaibei. Chuzhou has also asked for a nutrition program of baby formula and rice cereal. It came to our attention in January that the babies are being fed adult milk powder. If you or anyone you know would like to help start a nutrition program for these babies, please let me know! Right now we are looking for pledges to start this program, which will cost at least $1500 a month.

As you know, the violence in Kenya has been great throughout January. We were thrilled to hear that all of the 250 children attending Humble Hearts are safe. Although they have not all been able to return to school, they have called and we know they will return as soon as they can. We also know they will have lunch each day because of a grant received at the end of 2007. Food each day for us is considered normal....for them it's extraordinary.

We have also started a new problem to help raise funds for Angel Cottage. This is a home we are building for approximately 80 children. The current Angel cottage has 36 kids living in a home made for 25 originally. For just $10 you can put your first name on a brick. Those bricks will be huge throughout Angel Cottage and remind the kids of all of us around the world who love them. Please consider donating $10 for yourself and each person in your family! Let's give the kids a way to see each day how much they are loved by strangers around the world. http://www.angelcovers.org/donation.html

Our 2007 Annual Report is done and will be on the website by tomorrow. Everyone on out mailing list will also be getting an email with the link. Please check out all the amazing things you help accomplished in 2007.

There are still a few styles of shoes on sale, although they are going fast. The passenger pals and sweatshirts also on sale. Much of our income for our general funds comes from the sales of our products. Please keep this in mind with you need a gift. And, don't forget to shop Amazon.com or IGive.com through our website. You'll be making a huge difference in the lives of so many kids without any extra effort.

Thank you for all you do!!!

It's all about the kids.

When Angel Covers started almost 5 years ago, I said that we would not have our own programs, build our own orphanages, start our own schools. There are wonderful organizations out there that are already doing fabulous work, and my goal was simply to support them. Well, clearly plans changed.

What I realized is that there isn't an organization out there that can do all of the work that needs to be done. So, we started doing some of it too. Angel Covers has provided medical care, shelter, loving caregivers, food, blankets, safe beds, etc. to children around the world. But, one thing we have continued to believe is that we can't do it all....no one can. And, if we work together the needs will be fulfilled faster, children will be safer, bodies will be healthier.

As you know, Angel Covers partners with Love Without Boundaries on a regular basis with projects. Both organiztaions firmly believe that our work is not about our foundations, it's about the children. It's about getting their needs met and giving them the best chance at life we possibily can. In the spirit of this belief, I'm asking anyone who reads this to PLEASE follow this link http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51591 and donate $10 to LWB.

If you haven't heard, FaceBook is having a competition and the organization with the most individual donors by 12 noon pst. tomorrow will win $50,000. Right now, LWB is in the lead. You also may not know that LWB had someone hack into their website and take it completely down just after Christmas. They have been unable to fundraise for individual children, start new programs, and have lost at least $50,000. If LWB wins this challange, 10 children with serious heart conditions will have surgery. Your $10 will completely change the lives of these 10 babies.

I believe with all my heart that we all must work together to make an impact on this world. The needs are too great to do it alone. With that in mind, please make a $10 donation, ask you spouse and friends to do the same, and let's help LWB help these children. Because it really is simply about helping the kids.

Kari Fillmore

Great News!

Baby Hua's medical care is fully funded! What a huge blessing so many people have given this baby. Little Hua is now in Hefei in an incubator. He is receiving special formula for preemies and seems to be getter stronger every day. He still needs to learn to eat on his own, but the long road he has ahead of him would never have been possible without all of our donors! We will continue to update you as we have more information.

We have started receiving donations for baby Cong also. She is almost one year old and has serious heart issues. Thank you to everyone who has donated for her care so far!! We still need $3,910 to fully fund her surgery.

There are so many other babies we know about who need medical care....2 babies who need cleft surgery, one who has a BIG tumor removed from her bottom and needs extensive after care....all of these babies are precious. And, with your help they are all getting the care they deserve!

Kari Fillmore

Children in Need

Angel Covers learns about so many beautiful children who need our help on a daily basis. Sometimes we are contacted directly by an orphanage, sometimes we learn of children through other organizations. Always the children are in desperate need.

In the past week, we have been contacted by Love Without Boundaries about 2 babies who desperately need our help. Cong is an adorable little girl in the Anhui province of China who has serious problems with her heart. Cong is almost 1 year old and needs to have heart surgery to fix a VSD, ASD, and Tricuspid Regurgitation as soon as possible. We are working to raise the $4,210 needed to complete her surgery and give her a strong, healthy body as soon as possible.

Angel Covers has also agreed to help find supporters for Hua. Hua was born prematurely on January 15, weighing only 1 KG. Knowing how expensive intensive care can be, the orphanage tried to keep Hua in an incubator at the orphanage, but quickly realized he needs more care and a special formula. Love without Boundaries asked Angel Covers to help. Approximately $3,000 is needed for Hua's care. Because $1,200 has already been raised, Hua was transferred to Hefei and is receiving the care he needs.

If you are interested in helping either of these sweet babies, please go to http://www.angelcovers.org/donation.html to make a donation. You may put the child's name you are donating for in the memo section and we will make sure your donation is used for the baby you stated. You may also send donations to Love Without Boundaries. Regardless of where you send your donation, you will receive updates telling you how your baby is doing.

Thank you for your support of these children! We are grateful for everything you do for children around the world.

Kari Fillmore

Unrest in Kenya

First let me apologize for not posting in so long. Where does time go anyway?

Many people have emailed me recently about the violence in Kenya. Humble Hearts is very special to many of us. We have watched the children grow and become even more beautiful children than they were when they first came to the school. They are excited about learning and now have hopes and dreams they never dared to have before.

Fortunately, the current violence in Kenya won't put an end to those dreams. The Kenyan Government determines the country's school schedule. The beginning of the school year is January of each year and the children attend school on a 3 months in school, one month out of school pattern. School was scheduled to start on Jan. 7 this year. However, because of the violence, the opening of schools was delayed until Jan. 14. As far as I know, the school opened today without any problems.

There were certainly children and school staff who went to the country-side with their families during the holidays. Many of them were unable to return to Nairobi when planned because of roadblocks and violence. We are hopeful that all of the children and teachers will be able to return to school soon, and will have updated information about who has made it back to school and who hasn't by the end of the week.

We are thrilled to be moving forward with the lunch program, which was expanded this year to feed each and every child lunch at the school. For many, this is the first time in their lives they have been able to know without a doubt that they would eat each day. It's not possible to express the relief these children will feel.

Although Kenya is in turmoil right now, the children of Humble Hearts will be coming to school this week with the security of food, people who care about them, a safe place to live for those at Angel Cottage, and a strong hope for the future. In a city full of chaos, that's a comfort these children are not always privileged to feel.

Kari Fillmore

Holiday Blessings

The holiday season is in full swing and it just seems to keep getting busier. To be completely honest, in years past the holidays have been a little depressing for me. Watching our family spend lots of money on wonderful gifts, most of which we don't need, always seemed so sad. Sure, seeing my kids faces on Christmas morning is nothing but complete joy. But in my mind are always the children who don't have the amazingly joyful time each year of giggling over what Santa brought, or thanking countless relatives for their gifts.

This year is different though. This year I seem to be thinking about all of the blessings we have been able to provide to children around the world. I'm beyond words when I think about the grant Angel Covers recently received, which will provide all of the children at Humble Hearts lunch each and every school day of 2008 and 2009. I'm moved to tears by the nutrition report we recently received about the children of Huaibei. After only 3 months they have gained weight and look so much healthier.

Individuals have asked to be put on a waiting list for our next sponsorship program in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The last Mama's Wish college student was sponsored in full. Some of these children aren't even aware yet that they have so many people who love them. Can you imagine what a gift they will be given when they learn they will have the opportunity to reach for the stars?

I'm thrilled beyond belief that the holiday cards so lovingly organized by a wonderful volunteer are FLYING off the shelves. Ok, time for a shameless plug. :-) Get your cards fast! We only have about 60 boxes left and all of the funds raised from these cards will be used to benefit the Humble Hearts school. http://www.angelcovers.org/holidaycards.html We are overwhelmed (in a good way) that so many of you are ordering our products by the dozens for your holiday gifts, knowing that you are also helping so many children. We are printing gift cards for teachers, grandparents, friends, and so many others by those of you who want your gifts to be a donation in a loved ones honor.

Today I had the honor of packing yet another box of blankets to go to an orphanage in Ethiopia. We were blessed to be contacted by a woman whose family is adopting a beautiful little boy in January and they have agreed to find room in their suitcases for 83 of our blankets for their son's orphanage. Hats are soon going to Kazakhstan, additional blankets will be going to China, and countless supplies will be going to Kenya, all because of volunteers willing to make room in their suitcases. The volunteers who provided Christmas gifts to all of the children at Humble Hearts during the annual Christmas party showed those children they are loved and valued by strangers around the world.

Although there is still plenty of time to order, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who already have provided lovely gifts to your loved ones, and have done so by helping so many beautiful children around the world. The need is great! But, with everyone's support more and more children will have a blessed holiday season.

Kari Fillmore

http://www.angelcovers.org/