Team Angel Covers

I logged seven miles on Friday morning, in the fog and drizzle, with no one but the earthworms to keep me company! Poor worms, by mile 2 it was no longer a matter of attempting to adjust my pace and cadence to navigate around the little creepy crawlers, but more a matter of looking for the least populated spots for my feet to land. Despite being alone on the trail, I felt good about being out there, training for my race and brainstorming all of the ways to raise awareness about Angel Covers and the work we do. One tremendous step would be to have some partners in this adventure, so how about joining me? There are four easy steps:

1. Choose a race in your area. You can find local races by searching http://www.active.com/ or the 'Race finder' on http://www.runnersworld.com/ Maybe you're a new runner or walker, and a 5K is the distance for you, or maybe you're a bit more seasoned athlete and a ½ marathon or full marathon are on your goals list. Find a race and register!
2. Set a fundraising goal. Angel Covers' staff can help you choose a particular program to direct your contributions to.
3. Spread the word. We'll help you set up a page on the Angel Covers website and you can add a widget to your blog, facebook page, or anywhere else you can think of to get the word out.
4. Keep us updated on your progress so we can share your amazing efforts with our supporters!

Not sure about running yourself? Please help me instead by going to http://www.angelcovers.org/teamAC/teamAC_holly.php and making a donation.

Running for a cause,

Holly

Caring people around the world.

I'm the first to admit that I'm not always very good about telling you how many ways people are helping Angel Covers and the kids we serve. But every month, someone new comes forward wanting to help. Sometimes it's for big jobs, like coordinating our programs, and other times it's in smaller ways. The last several months have been no different.

At the end of 2009, Rossella decided to participate in World Run Day. She made a pledge to Angel Covers and ran 7 miles in our honor. Some people would say that the $20 she pledged won't go very far, but $20 will buy a piece of fruit for 250 kids in Kenya, or feed an orphan in China for a month. Can we really say that $20 didn't make much of a difference? The children she supported think it did.

After returning from Kenya in September, Ivan had the idea to create money boxes and set them out at pharmacies around Spain. This week Ivan sent us $375 collected from these money boxes, which will be used to help rebuild the Humble Hearts school. That will buy at least 15 desks, or sets of textbooks, or blackboard.

In January, a Daisy troop collected two boxes full of first aid supplies for Humble Hearts. They also made adorable picture frames for the children of Angel Cottage. So often we take for granted that when we get a cut, a bandaid and antibiotic ointment will be waiting for us in the medicine cabinet. But the girls of this daisy troop realize how comforting and necessary first aid supplies are, and have provided months of comfort to the children of Humble Hearts.

Yesterday I learned that Abi, age 10, raised enough money to sponsor a Mama's Wish girl for one year. WOW! At the age of 10, she raised $130.00 and is now changing the life of a teenager halfway around the world. Xianba Ji will now be able to attend high school, will not be forced to marry at 14, and will have options after graduation she never could have dreamed of before....all because a 10 year old decided to raise money for her.

Today I learned that one of our program coordinators is going to run the Fredrick half marathon in May. She is establishing "Team Angel Covers" and developing a program so that anyone around the world can also run a half or full marathon in order to raise funds for specific needs in our programs. Want to run for Angel Covers? More information will be following soon about this new program and how you can get involved. Run as a group or individually knowing you are running with the support of Angel Covers. You will not only finish your race, but provide children around the world with what they need to finish ahead in life. Lots of thanks goes to Holly for developing this great program!

Every little thing we do makes a huge difference in lives around the world. I believe people around the world doing things such as these are the real heroes. What can you do today to make a difference in the world around you?

In awe,

Kari

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Finally!!

Months ago (ok, maybe even a year ago or more) Angel Covers started "selling" bricks at the new Angel Cottage. The idea was that for a donation of $10 or more, you could have your name engraved into a brick at the new home. These bricks would not only help complete this much needed home, but would also provide a beautiful visual aid to the students, showing them just how many people around the world love and support them.

Many bricks were purchased, both to have our own names on them, or in honor of those we love. While this project was hugely successful, it took much longer than any of us thought to get the home built and to get the names on the walls.

Good news though!!! Names are on the walls and they are beautiful!! Pictures are still coming in and everyone who purchased a brick will get an individual pictures. While we are waiting on all of the individual pictures, I wanted everyone to see how wonderful the dinning room at Angel Cottage looks. The bright and cheerful messages and names on the walls will be a constant source of inspiration for the children of Angel Cottage.

Forever grateful,

Kari

Empower a Girl with Mama's Wish

We are delighted to welcome several new girls to our Mama's Wish Education Program. These very smart and determined girls have beaten all the odds, and we would love to find new sponsors for them as soon as possible.

These bright girls come from very poor villages in rural QingHai Province in China - where attending school is often just a dream, especially if you are a girl. Without this opportunity for education, most of these girls would have been forced into marriage at a very young age, and work in the fields to support their struggling families. With our help they now aspire to be teachers, scientists and doctors. All of our students are incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and each of them looks forward to giving back to their communities.

For just $130 you can sponsor a high school student for an entire school year, and help give her the tools she needs to succeed. As a Mama's Wish sponsor you will receive letters and photos of your student. You'll also have the opportunity to send her letters if you wish. Our students love to receive letters!

You can learn more about the Mama's Wish Education Program and see photos of our available students here: http://www.angelcovers.org/mamawish.html

"We wish you everyday happy!"

Karen MacNair
Mama's Wish Sponsorship Coordinator

Working Together

The end of last week, the children who attend Humble Hearts returned to the school to see the destruction. Parents and children cried together as they came to better understand all that was lost. As the official opening of the school, parents were eager to find ways of moving the school forward for their children.

These parents come from the extreme poverty, rarely have enough food for their families, live in tin shelters, and many lost their homes to the bulldozing as well. However, these families united behind the school and it's needs. Families with little for themselves came together and quickly purchased polls for a new temporary building. This building, which was constructed immediately by the families, will be used to teach the youngest of the Humble Hearts students. Additionally, the children from class 1 and up were moved into a nearby church. This church graciously opened their doors and is allowing Humble Hearts to rent rooms for a nominal monthly fee.

There's a lot of work to do for sure. Books must be purchased, partitions need to be put in place to divide classrooms, desks and blackboards are still needed. To help with any of these needs, please go to www.angelcovers.org/donation.html and mark your donation for the Humble Heart rebuild. We are continuing to look for options for a permanent solution to the Humble Hearts crisis, but it's amazing to know that in less than a month the children are back in school and parents whose children have not attended Humble Hearts in the past are begging for their admittance.

From the parents to the children to the teachers to our donors...everyone is proving how much they love this school. Thank you seems completely inadequate.

So very grateful,

Kari

Humble Hearts will soon reopen!

In the past 10 days since my last update, emails have been flying back and forth between the US and Kenya. Beatrice and I have been working hard to not only get the word out about what happened at Humble Hearts, but to also find a solution so children can start school as soon as possible. Fortunately many possibilities have been presented to us and everything seems to be coming together so the children can start school again this week.

In the past 10 days we have learned that it wasn't the government at all how bulldozed HH and the surrounding homes and businesses, and this certainly wasn't a mistake. Instead it was the Kenya Railway and Kenya Pipeline Companies carried out these terrible acts. By the end of the month, they are planning to wipe out every church, business, school and home in their way between Western Kenya and Mombasa on the coast. They will be giving individuals and businesses little if any compensation. While meeting still are continuing with these companies and the Kenyan government offices, little help is expected.

However, a church very close to HH has agreed to let us use their building temporarily for the school. For only $205 a month, the building can be rented and children will be arriving to start school as early as Thursday. Tomorrow (the 12th), students from HH will return to the site of the school so Beatrice and the other teachers know how many children plan on continuing their education at HH and how many have moved. Additionally, the deaf children living at Angel Cottage have already started arriving and will begin school this week as well. We will be increasing the number of children to 40, including some hearing orphaned children.

Must still needs to be done this week. Lists of school supplies, books, and other needed materials will be made and thanks to so many generous donations, will be purchased right away. We will also be making lists of all of the kids who returned so we can notify sponsors if any have moved.

In the past 3 weeks since we learned of the HH demolition, more than $3,300 has been raised from individuals around the world. We were all heart-broken and overwhelmed. But through this tragedy it has become clear to me how important this school...not only to the children it serves, but to everyone who supports it. Humble Hearts is bringing hope to hundreds of children in the slums of Nairobi and even though the school is no longer standing, the children's dreams are alive and well.

Always grateful,

Kari

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.