Momentum

Throughout 2008 you heard us talking over and over about the need to build Angel Cottage. This is a huge project that feels like it's been around forever. Dozens of deaf children are waiting for this new home so they can not only attend school, but learn a language, be valued, and see a life completely different than they one they currently living.

2008 was hard for all of us. Overall Angel Covers donations and sales were down by 34%....about the same amount we have all lost in our 401K's and other accounts. People are struggling to pay for food, gas, and other necessities. Fund-raising for Angel Cottage stalled and the construction almost completely stopped.

But then December 2008 came around and so many people donated saying they believe the true meaning of the holiday season was to give to those who have even less than they do. More than $12, 500 came in for Angel Cottage in December. Dozens of individuals and businesses purchased their holiday cards through us and our greeting cards were given as numerous gifts. Because of these purchases, another $2,250 was raised for Angel Cottage.

As I have been opening more and more donations for this extraordinary project, the word that keeps going through my head is momentum. We have been given a huge gift in the past couple of weeks. Currently less than 1/3 of the total cost of Angel Cottage is needed. Dozens of names have been added to the list of bricks to be made. To those of you who have supported this project, you have my sincere thanks and appreciation.

Please helps us keep up this great momentum. Spread the world to everyone you know. Every single dollar makes a huge difference in this project. Gas prices are down, the holidays are over....please consider making a donation to this project. Help us get Angel Cottage built! If all of the funds were raised today, Angel Cottage could be completed in 2 months. Wouldn't it be amazing to think of 55 deaf children moving into this beautiful new home before school starts in May???!!!!

The waiting list of deaf children currently been locked away at home, not allowed to attend school, unable to communicate with their family or peers, is long. Please send this to anyone you know and help us change their lives from one of complete isolation to one of laughter, love, and fun as soon as possible.

http://www.angelcovers.org/angelcottage.html

My Christmas Wish

I came home from work a few days before Christmas to discover the ginger bread houses the kids had worked on that day. The boys decided to make their own style of home instead of being confined to the directions on the box. This is the result of their labors. We have probably the most unique gingerbread house there is.

Their house reminded me so much of Angel Cottage in Nairobi. It is a home that is incomplete. It has no roof. It cannot be lived in yet. Angel Cottage has been on my mind a lot recently and the need for completion was hammered home by an e-mail from Beatrice. Trying to be such a wonderful steward of money that has been donated, she has been purchasing items needed for construction as money comes in and at the best prices available. She was able to get a wonderful deal on some bags of cement that will be needed for the slab that will be the roof. The bags of cement are being stored. Her e-mail brought to our attention that if we store these for too much longer they will become unusable, as moisture will inevitably cause them to harden. It is very difficult to find a dry place to store these with the rainy seasons, and climate in that area. The thought of going backwards on this project was really devastating. We just can't go backwards.

Angel Cottage to me is an example of all that Angel Covers works towards. Yes, it will be a home for orphans and deaf children, but it is more than that. Right now there are deaf children that are being turned away because there isn't enough room in the current Angel Cottage. That means they also aren't in school at Humble Hearts because it is too far and too dangerous for them to walk on a daily basis. What it really means is they aren't in school at all, because there aren't other deaf schools that children from the slums of Nairobi can attend due to the costs. Instead they remain at home. They don't know sign language. Their families don't know sign language. They have no way to communicate to the world around them. Their families incomes are so small, that they most likely don't eat on a regular basis. In many cases they may be abused, as the families don't know how to communicate with them and get frustrated with these children they consider an embarrassment. This is not the way children are meant to grow up.

Angel Cottage would change all of that. It would mean a place to live where they are understood. A chance to learn how to communicate with the world around them. A chance to receive an education. A chance to have three meals a day, and a chance to be cared for medically with things that could normally not be afforded. It is the holistic program for children that Angel Covers strives to help create. But it has been slow. The poor economy here has not helped. My Christmas wish is that Angel Cottage will be completed in the first six months of 2009.

My jaw fell open two days before Christmas when I received news of a donation for Angel Cottage. It was a wonderful donation from a very kind individual that will allow the slab for the roof to be completed. Not going backwards on the project, but forward! It took me from feeling somewhat defeated to being excited and energized about it again.

I need your help. Spread the word. Donate a couple of dollars if you can. Make it your New Years resolution to help see this project completed.

Christmas day was wonderful. I enjoyed time with Kari and the kids. We gave each other wonderful things, but those items just don't fill the voids in life that we know about. This is my, not so secret anymore, Christmas wish! What is yours?

Helping Angel Cottage

Many people have been asking how they can help build Angel Cottage even though they don't have the funds to send a donation. I'm always so glad people ask me this! There are several ways to help without making a direct donation.

One of our wonderful supporters sells Party Lite Candles. A portion of her profits are being donated to the construction of Angel Cottage. Additionally, if you would be willing to have a Party Lite Candle party, all of the profits from your party will support Angel Cottage construction. All you need to do is email Caroline at aijdinsmom@yahoo.com and request a catalog. She will send you everything you need for the party.

Also, check out our Giving Works page on eBay. All of the items listed have a portion of the proceeds coming to Angel Covers. All funds raised will go to Angel Cottage.
http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=4418

Angel Covers still have greeting cards and will soon have holiday cards for sale through our website. 100% of the proceeds from these cards goes to Angel Cottage construction. All of these cards were designed by the children of Humble Hearts and are beautifully made. http://www.angelcovers.org/greetingcards.html Please remember to use these for gifts during the upcoming holiday season.

All of ideas will help build Angel Cottage and provide 80 children a home they can only dream of now. Thank you for being a part of this great work.

Wednesday in Kenya

After buying more than $400 worth of textbooks and office supplies for Humble Hearts, we went to see the Angel Cottage construction site. Recently we were able to send funds for the purchase of a cow and construction of a shed. This shed is
being made of concrete in order to provide greater security and will not only house the cow, but will also house the chickens and have a room for the caretaker to live it. The construction of the shed is next to a new garden. Frequently Angel Covers is given funds that can be used for anything Humble Hearts needs. Being a forward thinker, Beatrice has leased land for a garden and has planted kale and spinach for the children of Humble Hearts. Although the plants are small now, it's clear that this garden will produce a lot of food for the children.

Angel Cottage construction is truly amazing. Much bigger than it seems on paper, Angel Cottage will be a wonderful home for at least 80 children. Walls are up and the next step is to put the 'slab' or roof on the top. Angel Cottage is being built in a manner that 3 additional stories can be built on top to house even more children. Beatrice has already started mapping out where all of the names will go on the bricks and it's going to be lovely. All of the names will be located next to the play area for the children so they always see each name as they are outside playing. Please tell all your family and friends about this great opportunity. each brick can be purchased for a minimum donation of $10 to Angel Covers and will completely change a life.

Paying for Angel Cottage has to be a top priority. 36 children are currently crammed in 2 rooms and Beatrice knows of at least another 20 who need a home. The day the new Angel Cottage opens, at least 56 children will move in. we will soon be sending out a newsletter telling you how you can help this exceptional cause.

Today we will organize all of the supplies we bought and go to the Dagoretti school, where we have started chicken and cow projects.

Please spread the word to everyone you know. Your efforts are changing lives!

Kari

Friends Around The World

Since Angel Covers began, people around the world have offered their help and support for children around the world. Recently, individuals have been posting about the need for a new Angel Cottage on their blogs and posting our widgets so others have the opportunities to donate. Because of these efforts, funds continue to be raised for this project. With Father's Day rapidly approaching, please consider donating a brick in your dad's honor. http://www.angelcovers.org/angelcottage.html

Marcia, of Magnolia and Friends, is another perfect example of the generosity of others. Marcia has graciously decided to give Angel Covers 100% of the profits from the sale of her Friends Of Magnolia Dolls. http://www.magnoliaandfriends.com/ These dolls come in a wide variety of outfits and are adorable! Marcia's generosity is going to touch the lives of children around the world. This about all of the kids in your life who would love one of these!

Thank you to all of you who help each and every day. I don't know who all of you are, but I know your caring for children is truly making a difference.

The Rainy Season

My sister-in-law, Lynn, and brother are living in Nairobi right now and Lynn has spent lots of time volunteering at Humble Hearts. I wanted to share a post she recently made on her personal blog. It gives a whole new understanding of the difficulties these children face each day. Kari

I can’t stop thinking about the rain. I’ve heard of rainy seasons, but this beats all for predictability (though a friend from New Orleans once told me that a 30% chance of rain there meant it would be raining 30% of the day. I leave it to the meteorologists among you to compare).

Every day since early last week it has p-o-u-r-e-d down rain. The clouds silently boil up in the late afternoon and, sometime between rush hour and supper, they demonstrate their power over us with more water than some places get in a year. Sometimes it goes on all night, sometimes just a fast thundershower.


It’s going to be like this for the next 2 months.


We’ve traded dust for mud. The cleaning up is a daily endeavor. At the Angel Cottage house where about 35 deaf kids from Humble Hearts live, daily rain means a daily flood. The bedroom structures were only meant to be temporary, and the city council didn’t allow them to include drainage around the buildings.

The kids come home every day and expect to help bail out the house. Shoes must still be washed, so it’s done in the muddy water on the ground.

coming home








There is no yard for these kids to go play in puddles and then leave behind for a dry, warm house. The water is outside their bedroom doors, filling up. The blessing is that so much rain water can be collected in barrels to help with other washing, like socks.


The good news is that a new Angel Cottage is being built, albeit slowly, as funds allow. If you can help, please visit angelcovers.org/africa.html and make a donation.
Thank you and take care,-L
(More pictures of Humble Hearts and Angel Cottage on flickr.)

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