Real Hunger

Real hunger is an experience I have never had. I can only try to imagine the hopelessness of needing to feed my family with nothing left at home while drought and poverty block all attempts to get more food. For miles, as far as can be seen, there is little relief. Prices for simple items such as beans and maize sky rocket beyond reach. Desperate neighbors steal from meager gardens. Schools close because even the government hasn’t the means to conjure lunch food where there is none.

This is a picture of much of Kenya today. Even Humble Hearts School, having planned ahead by trying to develop self-sustaining farm projects, is facing the challenge of caring for the children amidst these complicated problems. Beatrice writes:

Can you believe that maize has gone up to 6,000 shillings a sack?! Many schools and homes are finding it very difficult to feed children. There are schools even thinking of closing until they can get enough food. I visited the farm where we had grown maize and had thrown in a few beans. We were able to harvest four sacks which will last us two weeks, though we had to rush to harvest them since people were stealing them from the farm. There is so much hunger in Kenya right now; we were among the few people who planted early so our beans were ready before the others. The maize will be ready in September -we are hoping to harvest at least 50 bags. We intend to sell half to support the farming and feed half to the children. It will be a great relief when we can harvest the maize from the farm.

Each week, Angel Cottage and Humble Hearts School must reevaluate and ration their resources in order to feed the children who are in their care. The teachers and families helping are always willing to labor tirelessly in order to harvest and prepare whatever can be gathered to feed the children. I am humbled and amazed by their persistence and dedication! We need more help, however, over and above the financial commitment our wonderful sponsors continue to send. The children for whom we care and guide toward a better future -need food. It’s that simple. They are hungry and need nourishment to survive, let alone grow and thrive. Please help. A monthly donation commitment or a one-time offering for this purpose can do so much toward making sure Humble Hearts will not have to tuck hungry children into bed at night, or God forbid, close its doors. Across this globe, there is provision for people in need. Please consider extending a portion of your abundance to meet a portion of their great need. Thank you!

Ida McManis

Humble Hearts School Sponsorship Coordinator

http://angelcovers.org/donation.html

Ways to help and not spend anything!

So often people think they are not able to support an organization unless they are able to write a check. While checks are always nice there are so many, equally as important ways you can help children around the world. Several have materialized in just the last 2 weeks. Please take a moment to consider changing the lives of children around the world with just a few minutes of your time.

Great Nonprofits is having a campaign asking for the public to review non-profits they love. The Children’s and Families Campaign will recognize any non-profit having 10 or more positive reviews by April 30. That’s where all of you come in. We need your help to get as many reviews as possible about Angel Covers and the work we do. Just follow the link and type Angel Covers into the non-profit finder at the top.

Ever heard of Gildan sportswear? I bet you have a t-shirt made by them in your closet. I know I do. They are having a contest and the top 5 non-profits with the most votes by June 30 will win $10,000 or more. Amazing! You may vote every day and if you'd write a story about your experience with Angel Covers, your vote counts even more. Please consider bookmarking the link to the Gildan contest and vote every day.

Recently two elementary school held book drivers for the wonderful children of the Humble Hearts School. More than 2,000 books were collected and will be sent on a shipping container to the school along with numerous other supplies. Would you consider holding a book or school supply drive for the children of Humble Hearts? We can provide you with planning information and fliers, which you can tailor for your specific school. What a great way to help children around the world and teach others about serving others.

These are just a few of the many ways to make a difference in the lives of children around the world without spending your hard-earned money or having to find any more time in your day. Your votes, your reviews, and your organizational skills will provide invaluable support for so many children. Please take a few minutes to check out the links above. Your support is priceless.

Kari

A Success Story!

Three years ago Angel Covers was asked to support Juilus Fenta and his dream to become a nurse practitioner. Since graduating from High School graduation in 1998, Julius had been dreaming of being able to provide medical care to his village of 15,000. With no medical professional in the area, villagers have to walk more than an hour for any kind of medical care.

We were thrilled when three generous women stepped up and agreed to sponsor Julius throughout nursing school. They have stuck with him, supporting him and joining him in his successes. In January, we learned that Julius was done with all of his schooling and internships and was able to register as a nurse practitioner. Upon returning to his village, he began researching how to best support his village with this newly gained skills.

Julius' sponsors have recently agreed to provide the start up costs for a new clinic! Because of the generosity of these amazing women, 15,000 people in the village will no longer have to walk for an hour or more to receive basic medical care. Women having complications giving birth, will have immediate medical care for themselves and their new babies. Sick children will not go untreated because help is now just down the road.

Julius is a perfect example of why Angel Covers began. Every person has the potential to do great things. We all need support and someone who believes in us. Julius has amazing sponsors who have believed in him for 3 years and their faith in him has changed an entire village.

If you'd like to help with start up costs for Julius' clinic, or support another child in our of our programs, please contact us anytime. Julius is proof that numerous lives can be changed by just a few.

Forever grateful,

Kari

Giving and Giving with little effort!

Valentine’s Day is almost here!

Wouldn’t it be great to tell someone you love them AND help us provide support orphans in China at the same time? We’ve teamed up with Causes for a very special Valentine’s Day opportunity. If you buy flowers/chocolates/your Valentine’s gift through our cause, our nonprofit gets $10 for every purchase! The flowers and gifts are the same price to you but you can feel great about the fact that your gift is also going to support projects like our nutrition program in Huaibei, Anhui, China. More than 40 orphans receive extra formula each month because of the Angel Covers nutrition program. Your Valentine will love your gift and the gift to the children!

It’s really simple – just use this link to buy your Valentine’s Day gift and $10 will automatically be donated to us:


http://www.causes.com/valentines/16135?ref=com16135

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Angel Covers

Almost 2011?

It's hard to believe 2011 is just around the corner. We have been blessed throughout the year to see the lives of children changed in ways we could only imagine. The Humble Hearts School was bulldozed at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 held so many challenges. Where would the school reopen? How many children were displaced and unable to return to school? How would the students learn without textbooks, desks, etc? While we knew the school began thriving after the move to the Angel Cottage sight, my trip to Humble Hearts in September, revealed that the school is even better than it was before the demolition. Bulldozing = blessing in disguise? Maybe.

Our Education Director had the joy of traveling to China to visit our foster care program in Huaibei as well as almost all of the Mama's Wish girls. She was also able to purchase yaks for numerous school in the Tibetan Region of China for extremely poor schools and the Tongren School, where most of the Mama's Wish girls attend high school. For some time, we have been hoping to be able to increase the nutritional level of the girls in the Mama's Wish program, but it's been difficult to figure out how to provided them with much needed extra nutrition while they are attending a school of hundreds of kids. Yaks were the perfect solution. Milk is now being provided to everyone in the school and the girls are getting the nutritional support they need.

While the goals met throughout 2010 are numerous, there are still many that are a work in progress. Sponsors are always needed for the foster care program and the nutrition program in Huaibei. Both of these programs are making a huge difference in the health and happiness of the children, but both need a significant influx of funds. Interested in helping one of the Mama's Wish students? We still have a few in need of sponsors. These sponsorships are $130 a year. Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to tell all the girls they have sponsors just in time for the new year?!!

Please join me in celebrating the successes of Angel Covers throughout 2010 and continuing to support our work as we ring in 2011. Your end of the year donation is 100% tax deductible and will change a child's life in ways that he/she can only dream.

Humbled,

Kari

A Fantastic Day!

Today we learned some wonderful news! As you know, we've been working for the past two months to raise $10,000 for Humble Heart. If we were to raise this money, an anonymous donor would match it by 50% or $5,000. The Gifts From the World Auction was held, holiday cards are being sold, gift cards have been purcahsed, and donations have been pouring in. So far, Angel Covers has raised approximately $5,000!!

However, even more amazing news came today. Jane, with Angel Covers UK, has been working on a grant for Humble Hearts. Beds, textbooks, desks, and an underground water tank were are on the greatly needed list of items for the school. Today, we are thrilled to announce that the grant was awarded for $10,000!!! Now, when the kids return to school in January, they will have so many more of the basic necessities we take for granted.

The school is also in desperate need for additional income generating projects that will sustain the lunch program. A chicken project will soon start and we are hoping to have cows for milk and land to grow corn and beans. With the grant just awarded, funds already raised, and the matching donation, all of these are within reach.

Thank you to Jane and all her hard work on this grant, and to all of you who have contributed to this wonderful goal! You change lives each and every day.

Thrilled and grateful,

Kari

Gifts From The World Auction

Today our annual Gifts From The World Auction began. More than 90 items from around the world are available for bidding. Items such as beautiful hand-made wine stoppers, blankets, clothing, and even a vacation home just to name a few will help us raise the $10,000 needed for Humble Hearts. While this auction can provide you with wonderful and unique items for yourself or others (are you thinking holiday gifts?), it will also provide daily necessities to the children of Humble Hearts.

Currently there is only one water tank at Humble Hearts. This water tank is way to small for the 140 children living there to have water to drink, as well as using it for cooking, cleaning, and showering. Every single dollar raised from this auction will be matched by 50% and one of the first purchases will be an underground water tank holding 30,000 liters of water. Then additional beds will be purchased so fewer children have to sleep on the floors.

Please, spread the word about this great auction and the enormous difference it will make in the lives of these precious children. Your bid is not only a bid for one of these beautiful items, it's a bid for a better life.

Kari
-------