Love for NIkolajs!

     Just a quick update- Nikolajs now has $401.88 in his Angel Tree Account! The fundraiser ends tomorrow at midnight, so there should hopefully be some more movement very soon.  There is currently a bump match going on, in which a generous donor has given $10,000 to help get kids over $500 in their AT accounts.  Basically, as soon as a child under $500 goes over that mark, another child with the current lowest amount comes along with them.  More details are here, and a reminder that you can enter a cool giveaway there as well.  So if we get Nikolajs over $500 today, another kid benefits as well. Yay!
         As part of my advocacy for Nikolajs, I asked two online friends to post about him in exchange for a small donation to the children they are advocating for.  Please check out their sweet posts here and here.  I am so excited to know that Nikolajs has been shared with more and more people.
        I would love you to read about some special kids to these friends who shared Nikolajs for me.  First, meet Haisten! His picture is not able to be share online, but he is an eight year old boy with Down Syndrome.  There is not a lot of information posted publicly, but you can find out much more with a serious inquiry about adopting him.  

      Next, meet Peter who lives in Asia! Peter's warrior is even hosting a cool "party" as a fundraiser for him. If you click on his link, you can see a picture of him looking at a book! Peter is now 5 years old and also has Down Syndrome.  If you are considering helping a child reach his Angel tree goal, please consider Nikolajs, Haisten, or Peter!

After Christmas Update!

     Good morning! Three quick updates for you.  The Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree fundraiser ends at midnight on December 31st.  My child again this year is Nikolajs and his grant has grown to $290.88! While this is great progress, I am still hoping to get him all the way to the $1000 goal. And ultimately, I would love for his family to find him and begin the process to bring him home.  Remember that there is a giveaway for all of the kids under $500 in their grants running at http://forallourangels.blogspot.com.  Make sure to forward your receipts to allangelsgiveaway@gmail.com for a chance to win a great prize.

     Secondly, the Dubbs family is in country adopting their two girls.  Lori has taken custody of both of the girls and their adoption is fully funded!

      Third, I have taken on a new Family Warrior family! The Greene family is in process to bring home their first child- Andres who is listed as Alejandro.  Unfortunately I can not publicly share his handsome face, but I am excited to help raise awareness for this family.  You can read more about them on their profile or on their blog.

Answered Prayer!

       Just checking in with an exciting update- the Dubbs family is now fully funded to complete their adoption of two beautiful deaf girls from Asia! You can read more details about their successful fundraisers, grants, and generous givers on their blog at http://followinghisleadtochina.blogspot.com/2014/12/thank-you.html. Lori leaves to pick up her girls in three days and has sacrificed Christmas morning together with her family to get them home in early 2015.  Thanks for your prayers and support.

          I am still trying to raise awareness and an adoption grant for "my" Nikolajs.  Older boys with special needs face an uphill battle in being chosen for adoption, but he is just a kid who needs a chance.  Please help share Nikolajs' need for a family!

            And I'd like to feature just a couple other kids eligible for adoption who are currently listed on Reece's Rainbow, an advocacy website. First is sweet Abigail! Abigail is almost 4 year old and is described as tiny and social.  Abigail has an awesome advocate who blogs about her and several other precious little ones.  Her blog is here and you can read more about Abigail by clicking on her name.

       Next up, there are 141 kids who still have under $500 in their Angel Tree accounts.  They are all listed here.  If you donate $5 or more to any of these precious ones, you can enter a super giveaway at http://forallourangels.blogspot.com.   Maybe you want to give to Nikolajs, but if you'd prefer someone else, consider Robert who currently has the smallest grant. 

Or maybe Erikson who is the closest to $250 in his grant. 

Or maybe little Kent who still has a long ways to go to meet his goal. 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

       
         A couple exciting updates for you!  The Dubbs family is traveling to pick up their two daughters from Asia in 11 days.  As in, less than two weeks from now! Yesterday, the got the great news that a grant from their employer will be available as soon as the adoption is finalized (even when they are still in country finishing things up)!  That means that they only need $7811.07 to be fully funded!  The best way to help is to give to the tax deductible account on Reece's Rainbow. Another great way to help is to do some shopping!  They are hosting many online sales at the moment (Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Yellow Songbird and more).  All the details are here.  Please help do a Christmas miracle for this family.

        Second, today there is a cool "bump match" for the kids on the bottom of the Angel Tree.  For each kid from the bottom of the tree that crosses $100, another kid will get to jump to $500! All of the details are here, and this should benefit 17 kids under $100 and 17 kids close to $500! Wow! Any donations to the bottom 17 will earn you double entries into the giveaway, too. Happy Early Christmas!

        Finally, don't forget our sweet Nikolajs! He is holding steady at $64.80 in his Angel Tree account, but still has a long way to go to meet his $1000 goal. Thanks so much!

New Way to Help the Dubbs Family!

     Just a quick update to let you know that the Dubbs family is leaving soon to pick up their daughters from Asia.  They leave on December 18th and are still in the process of fundraising.  There are a couple ways to help them out.  First, you can give directly to their FSP account through Reece's Rainbow (this is tax deductible).  This account is only open until they return home with their girls in early January. Next, there is a fundraiser for Younique beauty products that runs through December 3rd.  You can shop directly from this link and a percentage of the proceeds will help with the adoption expenses.

        Please don't forget about Nikolajs and our goal to raise $1000 more to add to his account by the end of 2014.  You can buy some duct tape hair bows to support his grant (info is below and all colors except pink are still available) or just give directly.  Thanks so much!
           

Exciting Giveaway!

     My daughters check on Nikolajs every day (they call him Nicky) and were very excited to see that his grant now has $45 that has been raised this month.  Their first three duct tape bow orders have been delivered or mailed and there is still plenty of tape.  Details about how to get your  own bows are here.
         If you have been considering donating to Nikolajs to help find his forever family, this is a great time to do it! Another advocate is running a large giveaway for all of the kids featured on the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree this year.  Every $5 donation or daily post or share earns you an entry into the giveaway.  You can win an iPad mini 3, or a $1000 donation to a family or child on Reece's Rainbow! There is no way that I could offer you those kinds of prizes myself, so I am super excited to piggyback on this giveaway.  Read all the details here and be sure to comment on that blog to get entered.  Thanks so much!

Fundraising Update!

       Thank you to everyone who has ordered duct tape bows from my sweet assistants! Their first three completed orders are pictured below and will soon be delivered or on their way to Brooke, Sophie and Heather! Also pictured are the beginnings of a special order of present bows (no clips or rubber bands) for a special family member.  We appreciate you all.  Bows on rubber bands, bows on clips or  stand-alone present bows will be available through December 1st.

        Also, great news! The matching grant for the Dubbs family was met with a large final donation.  Their first quilt giveaway has finished up as well.  The Dubbs family will be traveling to Asia to pick up their daughters on December 18th! They still have financial need- you can give directly to their account at reecesrainbow.org or watch for another fundraiser launching very soon.

Duct Tape Bows for Nikolajs

     

          Meet Nikolajs! He is a 12 year old boy living in Eastern Europe who is waiting to be chosen by a forever family and adopted.  Nikolajs has a diagnosis of Down Syndrome and currently lives in an orphanage.  He is available for adoption and an advocacy ministry called Reeces Rainbow is helping to raise a grant that will be available to a family that commits to adopt him.  You can read the available information about him here.
            Last year, I participated in a group effort through reecesrainbow.org and was able to raise $1000 towards his grant.  Unfortunately, Nikolajs is still waiting and I have signed up to help increase his grant again this November and December.  My sweet daughters have been praying for Nikolajs for the past year and are helping me launch his first fundraiser of the 2014 Angel Tree season.  These duct tape bows are available for $2 each plus shipping (if needed).

        Each bow is custom made when you order.  Please specific rubber band or clip for each bow and pick the colors you would like.  The larger part of the bows can be silver, green, orange or pink. The centers can be any of those colors, as well as purple, black or zebra.  All colors available while supplies last.

    To order, please email annhammer@comcast.net with the specifics of what you would like.  If you would like your bows mailed, please include a full shipping address.  To pay, if you see me in person, cash is great and I will deposit it all at once.  Or, you can give directly to Nikolaj's grant through Paypal by clicking on his page and then the donate button.  Paypal takes a a fee out, so consider ordering multiple bows if you go that route.  Thanks- my girls are excited to help Nikolajs this way.

Dusting off the Blog!

Hello friends, I will be dusting off this blog this winter after many months of silence! I am focusing my orphan advocacy in two ways this winter and am experimenting with this blog as a way to keep my efforts organized.

First, I am signed up to be a family warrior for the Dubbs family that is in process of bringing home two girls from Asia.  Their daughter "Emma" was listed on reecesrainbow.org last year and I briefly blogged about her here. They are also bringing home another daughter nicknamed Shailey. Here are their beautiful girls!

If you are interested in reading more about the Dubbs family, check out their blog here! They also have a profile on Reeces Rainbow, which is an orphan advocacy group, at http://reecesrainbow.org/77173/sponsordubbs.  They expect to be invited to travel quite soon and have a large financial mountain left to climb, so I will share their fundraisers here as much as I can.  Currently, the Dubbs family has a matching grant for $4000 through Lifesong for Orphans.  You can read more about the grant and how to help on their blog. Thanks! 

Secondly, I have signed up to be an Angel Tree warrior for a child who is still waiting to be chosen to join a forever family.  "Nikolajs" was also my Angel Tree child last year, but is unfortunately still waiting.  The goal is to raise at least $1000 to be added to his adoption grant to make it easier for a family to step forward for him.  I will be doing a couple fundraisers for him in the next two months and will share details.  For now, if you donate $35 or more to his account, you will receive a beautiful ornament with his picture on it.  Hint- he is also on the button on the side of this blog!  Anything given in November or December will help him get to the $1000 goal.  Thanks! 

Love for Kids with Epilepsy

Wow, it is time for my final post for the month of February about the Other Angels listed on reecesrainbow.org.  Just a reminder, all of the kids in this category are eligible to be gifted Love Notes this month.   If you have been given any Love Notes, please redeem them by March 7th .  Today I am focusing on children with epilepsy.  Some of these children are taking medication to control their seizures, but some are in need of medical attention.  All of them need a loving family!

This is Serene, a twelve year old girl who lives in Eastern Europe.  She is social and is especially interested in math class.  If you are seriously interested in adopting Serene, please see her profile at http://reecesrainbow.org/69587/serene and think about asking for the available video of her.

Clayton and Caleb are three year old twins who live in a different country in Eastern Europe. Someone who met them last year was able to provide a detailed description of both boys.  Please read it and further information at http://reecesrainbow.org/67758/claytoncaleb. 

This is Miko, an eight year old boy who lives in Asia.  He is described as "active" and "outgoing" and is making good progress in  school.  Please read more about Miko and consider adding him to your family. His profile is at http://reecesrainbow.org/64961/miko.

Neil will turn five years old next month and he currently lives in Latin America.  He loves to smile, laugh, and be taken outside.  Neil has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, seizures, and hydrocephalus and needs a family ready to love him and help him to make continued progress in his development.  There is more information at http://reecesrainbow.org/20047/neil. 

Elias is three years old and lives in Africa.  He is receiving excellent care where he currently lives, but still needs a chance to find a loving family.  Will someone please consider Elias? More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/49100/elias-2.

Finally, maybe it is fitting to end the month with this precious one who shares my name- Anne!  She lives in Eastern Europe and just turned six years old.  According to a family that met Anne last year, she can walk, play with a musical toy, and go up stairs with assistance.  Please consider bringing Anne home.  More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/36165/anne-2. 

Love for Kids with Hepatitis

Today, the featured children have the medical need of hepatitis B or C.  Many of these kids are functioning very well in their current environment, but all could benefit from a loving family.  Are any of them waiting for you?

Danny is 13 years old and lives in Asia.  He is deaf and has hepatitis B.  If Danny is not adopted by the time he turns 14 in August of 2014, he will lose his chance.  Please, please see this precious boy! More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/71221/danny.

Meet Lisa Marie!  She was just recently listed on reecesrainbow.org and she is 11 years old.  Lisa Marie enjoys dancing, literature, jump rope and origami.  Please see more at http://reecesrainbow.org/73143/lisa-marie.

Susana lives in Eastern Europe and she is seven years old.  She is described as "a friendly and sociable girl" by someone who has met her.  Perhaps she is your daughter?   More information is at http://reecesrainbow.org/61112/susana.

Elias is now two years old and lives in Eastern Europe (it is likely that this is an older picture).  He has a few other special needs as well and is at a great age to get into a family and start getting the love and help that he needs to thrive.  Please see more at http://reecesrainbow.org/39101/elias.

This is Tadee! She turns 10 years old sometime this month and currently lives in Eastern Europe.  Someone has taken the time to give her a fancy hairstyle in this picture, but she really needs a mom of her own.  Please read more at http://reecesrainbow.org/56677/tadee.

Meet Haven, a seven year old living in Eastern Europe.  Haven has several different special needs and is described as "afraid of strangers," so she needs a really special family that is able to help her open up and blossom.  Haven has a grant of over $5000 to help with her adoption.  You can read more at http://reecesrainbow.org/12528/haven4205.

Love for Kids with Heart Conditions

During the final week of February, I will be highlighting kids waiting for adoption with other special needs that I have not featured yet.  On reecesrainbow.org, an advocacy site for orphans waiting to be matched with their forever families, these are "Other Angels."  There are separate categories for kids with Down Syndrome and kids who are HIV+.  So this week I will feature some kids with medical needs, with rare conditions, or kids who just have not fit into one of my categories so far this month!

Today, I am pleased to introduce some kids who have heart conditions and are waiting to be adopted.  There are many different kinds of heart conditions that affect children and they vary in severity.  Some of these featured kids have had surgery and some have not.

This is Wesley, a 6 year old who lives in Eastern Europe.  Wesley has been available for international adoption for only a year due to the laws in this birth country.  However, he has been waiting long enough and is ready to found by his family.  More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/1530/wesley1601.

Hans is five years old and lives in Asia.  He is described as "an active little boy who loves to talk."  He has already had at least one operation for his heart condition.  Please consider this precious boy.  More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/70414/hans.

Victoria is four years old and lives in Latin America.  Her listed diagnosis is Syndrome C3 which includes " cardiac malformations, cerebellar hypoplasia, and cranial dysmorphism."  Victoria currently lives with a foster family who describe her as "outgoing," "respectful" and "lovable."  Please read more about Victoria at http://reecesrainbow.org/66327/victoria-la.

Meet Cate!  She lives in Eastern Europe and is currently eleven years old.  She is beautiful and needs a family that can see beyond her list of heart conditions to a girl in need of a loving family.  More information is at http://reecesrainbow.org/22989/cate.

Dacey lives in Asia and is currently seven years old.  She is in need of heart surgery soon, but the doctor in her orphanage said that it could not be completed in her home country.  Her fingers and feet are described as blue- please help find her family quickly!  More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/69454/dacey.

Finally, these three brothers are known as Hunter (age 9), Forest (age 7) and Ridge (age 5).  Ridge has a heart condition and his brothers have a few other special needs.  There is a grant of almost $2000 to help with their adoption and these brothers must be adopted together.  Please read more about them at http://reecesrainbow.org/63837/hunterforestridge.

Love for Kids listed with "Mental Delays"

The kids featured in today's post have labels such as "mental delays" or "severe mental retardation." This terminology is considered out-of-date and offensive to many, but please see past these labels that have been given overseas.  Each of these children needs to be noticed and ultimately matched with their forever family.

This is Manny, a 13 year old boy living in Asia.  Manny is active and loves sports and he is running out of time to be adopted!  Manny needs to have his adoption completed before he turns 14 in September of 2014.  Please see more information at http://reecesrainbow.org/58821/manny.

Linus and Lucy (internet nicknames) are a brother and sister pair that live in Eastern Europe.  He is about four years old and she is about six years old.  This sibling pair has the blessing of living in the same orphanage at the moment, and a family would help ensure that they would never be separated.  Please read more at http://reecesrainbow.org/59905/lucy-and-linus.

Brendan is three years old and lives in Latin America.  He was born prematurely, which caused some delays in his development.  Please consider adding Brendan to your family!  More information at http://reecesrainbow.org/43901/brendan.

Carissa is six years old and lives in a different country in Latin America.  She loves music, clapping and smiling! There is more information available about her at http://reecesrainbow.org/63758/carissa-2.

This is Donald, a ten year old who lives in Eastern Europe.  Donald is waiting for his family to claim him and begin the process to bring him home.  Please read more about him at http://reecesrainbow.org/17530/donald6102.

Cullen lives in different country in Asia and he is currently nine years old.  There are details about Cullen on his profile at http://reecesrainbow.org/27785/cullen and there are also further details available from the adoption agency that currently has his file.  Please consider him! 

Finally, this is Troy! Troy is ten years old and lives in Eastern Europe.  A family adopting another child had the blessing of meeting Troy and they describe him as "gentle, patient, and kind."  If you would like to learn more about Troy, please see http://reecesrainbow.org/17713/troy317. 

Love for Kids with Developmental Delays

Today's post features kids who are listed on Reeces Rainbow with developmental delays.  Many of the descriptions of children waiting to be adopted are taken from paperwork prepared in their birth country, which is often translated from another language.  So, please do not be put off by some descriptions that seem insensitive- there is a real child waiting for a family behind them!  Some of the descriptions may not be accurate as well since it is very difficult to grasp the potential of a child taken from an institutional setting and placed in a family.  Please consider donating to or adopting one of these great kids!

First up is Gene, who lives in Eastern Europe.  I could not find an official diagnosis on Gene's profile, but I had to include him since Gene will age out and lose his chance to be adopted in August of 2014.  Gene has a grant of over $5000, which will make a significant difference for his future family.  Please see more at http://reecesrainbow.org/52866/gene.

Meet Holly Rose! Holly Rose is listed with "moderate mental delays" and she lives in Asia.  Holly Rose needs to have her adoption completed by her 14th birthday in November of 2014, so it is time to start her paperwork very soon.  Please read more about this girl described as "clever" and "popular" at http://reecesrainbow.org/57752/holly-rose.

To round out the group of kids who will lose their chance to be adopted too soon, please consider Julie!  She will be 16 in April of 2014, so there are only a few months to file paperwork in time for Julie.  From Julie's profile, it looks like further information is needed, so if you are considering this precious one, please inquire quickly to see if it is possible.  Her profile is at http://reecesrainbow.org/1696/julie.

Next up is Frederick who is four years old and lives in Latin America.  He is working on learning to feed himself and has recently learned to stand and take some small steps.  Please consider giving to Frederick's grant or adding him to your family. More information is at http://reecesrainbow.org/63773/frederick.

Meet Igor, a twelve year old living in Eastern Europe. His official diagnosis is "mental delay."  Please read his profile for a heartbreaking description of part of Igor's past and a good deal of hope for his future.  It is here at http://reecesrainbow.org/62768/igor.

Finally, I will finish up with two pairs of siblings waiting to be chosen for adoption.  This is William and Tommy who live in Asia. William is 7 and Tommy is 5 and they currently live with a foster family but are waiting for their forever family.  Please read more about them at http://reecesrainbow.org/46846/william-tommy.

Last up today are Jack and Jill (all names are internet nicknames to protect privacy).  They live in a different country in Eastern Europe which does not allow pictures to be posted online.  Jack and Jill are twins who are 7 or 8 years old.  Their profile lists "neurological difficulties, hard mental retardation, autistic reactions." Will someone please see the potential in this brother and sister? Info at http://reecesrainbow.org/69013/jack-jill.