So many opportunities

After offering a poll for readers to vote on, I’m curious to see if this is the best way to determine who to give to each month… One reader said they really had a hard time weighing which organization could best use that money.. how was she supposed to chose one over the other? It really made me think and while I’m going to test out the voting poll for a few more months, I’m going to be rethinking how I can get you guys involved as readers and also support organizations in the best way possible for months to come. Do you guys have any ideas? Or did you also have a hard time figuring out how to vote? 

On a different note, I feel as if I’ve been hit with a million chances to write about amazing organizations ever since I started this blog! Funny how that works huh? Whether it be charity events, requests from friends and family, or news articles jumping out at me, I feel like my eyes have been opened to many amazing organizations around me that need to be noticed. The good news: I have so many topics to choose from to write about! The bad news: there are not enough hours in the day, week, and month to cover them all in the detail they deserve!! But at the end of the day, I will definitely take the endless opportunities and am thankful to God for opening my eyes to those around me. So many people are doing so many amazing things!! And what a blessing it is to notice the positive!

If you know of any organizations that you would love to learn more about, feel free to shoot me an email. I’ve also had friends and family ask me to do some research on organizations they would like to give to…

And finally- what are you doing these days to make a difference? I’d love to hear your experiences!

"Secret Millionaire"

Has anyone else fallen in love with the new show Secret Millionaire on ABC? If you haven't heard of it, I encourage you to definitely check it out! It airs on Sunday nights but you can also watch the shows online. There have only been two episodes and yet as we watched them this weekend, I couldn't help but love the concept of the show! Millionaires move to and live in the worst parts of the country for a week, then they find people volunteering and giving to those around them, and at the end of the week they reward these deserving people with their own personal money to help fund their volunteer programs. I haven't made it through either show without crying, as you can't help but be so encouraged by the people making a difference in their communities! This last episode I really loved the millionaire's heart as well... after seeing what these people go through, he was so willing to go above and beyond and he seemed to really care about these people he was privileged enough to meet. His was a life that was changed. Check out this really cool encounter he had with just one person he got to meet:

"Marc Helps A Selfless Mother!" from Secret Millionaire

Marc reveals to Courtney, a selfless single mother, that he is a millionaire!

Click Here to Watch

"Marc Helps A Selfless Mother!" from Secret Millionaire

Marc reveals to Courtney, a selfless single mother, that he is a millionaire!

Click Here to Watch

So after watching these episodes, I was excited to write about them and also excited to see what others were saying about the show. I came across some really encouraging things! 

First of all, ABC polled the audience and asked the following: 

What interests you most about Secret Millionaire?

The millionaires

4%

The volunteers helping others

20%

Seeing how lives change

54%

Watching the millionaires give away money

21%

And it just really gets me excited to see that America is most interested in seeing lives change - yes, it's neat to see a millionaire give their money away, but what really matters? It's the lives that are changed as a result of that giving.

Another section on the ABC website challenges people to pledge to change their community. This is what they ask:

Has "Secret Millionaire" inspired YOU to make a difference in your community? What will you like to pledge to do to get involved and help others? Check back and see what others viewers are pledging as well!


One comment in particular really encouraged me as I hope it encourages you:

stacie296

6 days ago

I saw those women from the love kitchen and they inspired me to take action. This morning I woke up and called our local food bank to see what my two young daughters and I could do to help. So later this month, we'll be taking a tour of the food bank and then getting some bags to do regular food drives in our neighborhood. Thank you to ABC for such an inspirational show. We need more of this kind of TV. 

Don't we really??? America is hungry to see lives changed. So many of us have become sick of the filth and emptiness on TV and at the end of day, realize that the giving of ourselves is where true happiness can be found. There's no feeling like it. 


Let me know what you guys think of the show.... or if like Stacie, it has made you pledge to make a difference in your community. I would love to hear about it!

Mavis...the beginning of something wonderful



Look how precious she is!

As promised, I received my Compassion packet in the mail a few weeks after adopting Mavis as my Compassion child. I was so excited to open it up and look at her adorable picture and start communicating with her! I was given a Sponsor Number and lots of information of how to get started. A DVD was even included to watch and then pass on to anyone else that may be interested in sponsoring a child (let me know if you’d like to see it, and I’ll make sure to get it to you!) Jake and I watched it and I can't count how many times the pictures pulled at my heart and made me want to go visit each sweet child. The DVD really shows you how Compassion serves and helps you understand a little more about being a sponsor.

This page told me all about Mavis and where she lives. Her mother and father are married and there are 3 children in the family. She lives in Bubuashi, Ghana- home to about 24,000 people. Half of the adults are unemployed yet I found out that Mavis's parents can sometimes find work and could possibly be traders, making about $48 a month. It breaks me heart to think how often I spend that much money in one day while they provide for their entire family with that amount for a month. Malaria and diarrhea are the most common health problems in the area and improved housing is needed for the community, as most houses are made out of cement and iron. 


English is the primary language (which really was a blessing when I visited 6 years ago) due to Ghana being colonized by the British. The country is rich in natural resources such as gold, diamonds, and rubber, yet 45% of the population makes less than $1 a day. Many refugees from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo also come to live in Ghana due to the country's independence which was granted in 1957.

My packet also contained a folder for me to write down my personal information to send to Mavis along with a picture. I can then write her letters and start corresponding with her. I assume that since English is the primary language in Ghana, Compassion will not have to translate my letters but they do this for all sponsors and children when necessary. 

As I understand it, Compassion utilizes programs that are already in existence in the country who choose the children that most need sponsorship out of the community. The program I'll be working with is called Redemption Hour Child Development Center. They will provide Mavis with Bible teaching, health exams, deworming, recreational activities, tuition and educational materials with the money that I give each month. I love most that she will be learning about Jesus and a God that loves her, as well as having her physical needs taken care of.

When I visited Ghana several years ago, teenage girls would walk miles to our school where they were able to learn, take showers, and eat healthy meals every day. Some of these girls had never seen such facilities and were so thankful for a daily shower that I so often take for granted and see as a necessity instead of a privilege. What a blessing it was for me to have my perspective changed.

I'll be sharing with you all my letters to Mavis and the updates I get back about how she is doing. What a privilege it is to join with Compassion in changing a life!

Feb 2011 Donation

After checking out the votes, I decided to donate $100 to Compassion for the month of February! What a blessing it is to give to organizations that will turn that money around and change lives. Compassion has such a great track record and history that I know my money will be well spent and will make a difference in a child’s life somewhere around the world. By logging onto Compassion’s website I found this list of programs to give to:

   AIDS Initiative 

   Unsponsored Children

   Where Most Needed

   Leadership Development Program

   Partners of Compassion

   Malaria Intervention Fund

   Disaster Relief

   Water Filter

   Child Survival Program

   Medical Assistance Fund

   Help Highly Vulnerable Children 

The Child Survival Program caught my eye and after reading the below story, I was excited to fill out the form and send my donation. You’ll see why after reading this story about twin baby boys:

Babies born prematurely in the United States have cutting-edge medical technology on their side. And even with highly educated doctors and pristine hospitals, these tiny babies still die.

But thousands of miles away from those safe hospitals, Cyrus and Cyril were born in a tiny shack in the Philippines. Their mother, Maida, felt helpless as she held her sons, weighing a combined 4 pounds. They desperately needed medical attention, but Maida, unemployed and abandoned by her husband, couldn't afford it. Her babies didn't even have a crib — they slept on a cold piece of cardboard on the floor.

But when Cyrus and Cyril were just a few weeks old, Compassion's Child Survival Program intervened. The twins received crucial medical attention, and Cyrus was treated for a heart condition. Maida also learned how to create a healthy and safe home for her fragile little boys. The Child Survival Program was the difference between life and death for Cyrus and Cyril.

"I needed help," says Maida. "I didn't know where my husband was. I had very sick twins. I needed training to become a good mother." You can save the lives of vulnerable children like Cyrus and Cyril and desperate mothers like Maida by giving to the Child Survival Program today.

Today, Child Survival Program projects in a variety of countries are giving young children like Cyrus and Cyril a good start in life and hope for a brighter future.

This program exists to save the lives of the youngest, most vulnerable children, including those yet to be born. They are provided what they need to develop into healthy, thriving boys and girls -- nutritious food supplements, immunizations, ongoing health care and age-appropriate early childhood education and development opportunities. In addition, these children's mothers (or primary caregivers) are provided prenatal care, health care, parenting skills training and spiritual nurturing.

Most important, these mothers and children see God's great love in action every day through the care and love unconditionally shared by the Child Survival Program staff. 

And many of these mothers are making decisions to follow Christ.

Currently more than 11,000 caregivers, children and pregnant women are receiving lifesaving assistance through the Child Survival Program. Your contribution of $35 will provide the basic life needs for one child and mother for at least one month; a gift of $100 will help them for at least three months. And a gift of any size will help us extend this program of health and hope to even more of the world's children in desperate need, like little Cyrus and Cyril. 

Help a child and mother for 3 months? YES PLEASE! Sign me up!

All I had to do was fill out their electronic form and then submit my payment online. If you would like to learn more or donate yourself, please check out the website.