Summer Package~ Barranquilla, Colombia

2 Pam Munoz Ryan books and Lollipop for Sara S's child Sandra (above) & Charlotte's Web and dominoes for Sara S's child Andry (below)

Charlotte's Web for Sarah O's child Yesica (above) & The Very Hungry Caterpillar for Sarah O's child Steven (below)

The first package has been packed & is ready to ship! It will go out Monday. This was a very small package. I am starting with this one first because the Cartagena package is much more involved. This is how this small package turned out:

Money paid via the web store= $54

Actual cost of books and other items= $32

Cost of postage= $22

We broke even! Even though this was a small package, it still came out ok. On the larger packages, it should work out even better. We will see what Cartagena looks like in a day or two.

2009 Donations by Make a Change!

I have done the calculations, and here is where we stand:

$9,039.70!!!

That is our total in donations for 2009! (If other donations come in before the day ends here on my end of the world, I will update the amount on this post accordingly).

Thank you to all who have donated your money, time, hearts, and prayers to this group! You all are an amazing team!

On another side note, I have been looking into everyone's ideas and thoughts to make 2010 even more wonderful for our children. Chrystal had mention the microenterprise support that CI gives. It was a hope that maybe we could give $300 of the IGP to the families, and CI could help with the difference. However, CI does not actually give the monetary support, but rather the emotional support & financial/business planning expertise.

That being said, this is what else the CI rep had to say about our group:

"I completely understand your dilemma in raising funds for large projects, and want to commend you for all your hard work in organizing the fundraisers. I know it is time consuming, and what you and the group have accomplished this year is amazing, and shows a true dedication to the children in our care!"

As you can see, you are making a difference, and CI is appreciative of what you have done!

Thank you! THANK you! THANK YOU!!!!

Have a great 2010!!!

Doesn't Jon like Washington State?

Mack wrote:

These are the photos from the 1st package I ever sent to Jonathan in Honduras. I'd lost these, but I found them again while cleaning the house recently. Jon is wearing the shirt that I sent him that time in his most recent CI picture ... but he doesn't look happy about it, lol.

A New Lift One~ Who will be my friend?

If you didn't receive the e-mail, here is the link to the new Lift One: http://www.liftone.org/liftone/? Go ahead and take a look at it. It looks like we will be busy for a while getting all of those pages set up!!! There are at least a million things to do on there. I have barely even scraped the surface, I can tell. I do have some of my info set up. If you are looking for me, I am under "speedygonz" (which is my CI log in). I have no idea how to change it. I would rather it be makeachange because I would be easier to find. However, I don't have the time to mess with it now.

So, what do you think of the new Lift One?

Books that are country specific

For the children in the Philippines (above) & for the children in Zambia (below)

There are now two books that are region specific in the web store. The Filipino book is hard to get, so please let me know in advance if you will want one. That way, I can make sure I have it on hand in March. (or you can even go ahead and purchase it, and guarantee that it will be available for your child!)

Current Fundraisers

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on our current fundraisers. We have 2 (not including the 2 big ones for homes). Once we are close to completion on either one of these, I will add an additional small fundraiser. I have a few that are $200 and below, so they should go quicker. I just want to get these two closer to completion first (by that I mean only $100 left).

We have Maria & Ullysette's fundraiser that only needs $245!

And, Yamileisy and Jose Manuel's fundraiser that needs a little over $400.

The good news is we don't have very many of these $500 fundraisers left. 2010 should be an easier year, since the fundraisers will hover around $300. Plus, with the profit from the web store sales going into these fundraisers, they should move quicker. Of course, it won't be a HUGE profit because I wanted to keep the prices in the store closer to reality of what they cost to buy & ship. The more people participate, the more chance we have to earn something significant for the fundraisers.

Please consider giving to one of the 2 fundraisers above, and get it written off on your 2009 taxes.

Summer Reading Packages~ Frequently Asked Questions

(Isn't this little guy a cutie! I will tell you more about him later- no, I did not take on another child, and he is not available for sponsorship- He will be getting a package soon, though, as part of the Summer Reading Package to Colombia)

Question: How can I order a book/toy/stickers/or other item from the web-store for my CI sponsor child?

Answer: All you have to do is visit the web store of the MAC site: http://makeachangemac.webs.com/apps/webstore/ Once there, you choose the items you want to send. When you are done picking out the items, you follow the directions for payment.

Q: How do I know which book is age appropriate for my child?

A: Right above the items that you can purchase are words in yellow. These are tabs you can click on they tell you the language the books are in and what grade levels they cover. Simply click on the correct language & grade level, and you are directed to the books that are just right for your child!

Q: When will my items ship to my child?

A: Look at the previous post regarding the timeline found here. It will let you know how long you have to get your order in, and, also, when the packages will ship (depending on your child's country)

Q: How will I know what everything looks like before it ships?

A: Photos will be posted of every package before it is shipped. The post will detail the child's first name & what is being sent. It will all be right here on this blog, so you can look back at it at any time.

Q: Can I include a letter to my child?

A: Absolutely!

Q: How will the field know which stuff is for my child?

A: Every child will have their own gallon sized ziploc bag with their full name and child ID on the outside (you will provide that to me either as a note at the time of payment or an e-mail some time after)

Q: How do these purchases pay out twice?

A: First, your child gets a package, which is very exciting to them. And the "twice" is that any profit made (amount left over after buying the items at the store & paying for shipping) goes to the current fundraisers! A win-win for every one!

***Let me know if I have missed anything. As I get more questions, I will come back to this post to update the list. Check back for more answers...

And another side note, I hope to get pictures from those who participate showing the smiling faces of their sponsor children (so, please share them with the group).

Diego's aunt needs your help!

Diego's aunt stepped in a few years ago to take care of him after both of his parents passed away. She has struggled to provide Diego with the things he needs to stay alive. Several terrific folks have stepped up to help her with that. Through his fundraiser, he received cans of pediasure, a bed, amoung other items.

Now, we are in the last leg of the fundraiser. We need approximately $1,100 more to assist his aunt with her business. The money will be used to buy food items, a refridgerator, and pay off her debt (the loan that she received to start the business).

I have been told that there is a company match donation of $500 coming to his fundraiser soon~ which means we would only need $600 more!

To help Diego's aunt, please visit Aura's House:
http://aurashouse.com/2009/06/emergency-project-for-diego-of-columbia/

Don't forget- There is something in it for you, too (besides the great feeling of helping someone)- I am holding a raffle at the end of the fundraiser for $100! Here are the details:

For every $10 donated, you will receive 1 raffle ticket.
At the end of the fundraiser, I will get a spread sheet of the donors.
I will use this spread sheet to print off the raffle tickets.
My daughter Jaden will draw a number out of the hat to determine the winner.
The winner will receive a brand new black 4GB Microsoft Zune Video and Music MP3 player or $100 USD gift card!!

Summer Reading Packages Timeline

As you know, the time to order items to ship to Colombia for the summer has passed. We are now getting ready for a package to Lusaka, Zambia. Here are the upcoming deadlines to order for each country:

Colombia~ 12/26/09
Zambia~ 1/8/10
Dominican Republic~ 1/22/10
Ecuador~ 2/5/10 (a small package to Guayaquil- we will see what customs does with it)
Guatemala~ 2/19/10
Philippines~ 3/5/10
Mexico~ 3/19/10
Honduras~ 3/26/10 *Just added by popular demand

You can order books for any of the countries at any time. The books, toys, and other web-store items will ship to each country as follows (excess funds/profit will go into the fundraisers on this date as well):

Colombia~ 1/6/09
Zambia~ 1/20/10
Dominican Republic~ 2/3/10
Ecuador~ 2/17/10 (a small package to Guayaquil- we will see what customs does with it)
Guatemala~ 3/3/10
Philippines~ 3/17/10
Mexico~ 3/31/10
Honduras~ 4/7/10 *Just added by popular demand!

Now, here is what I need to know from you all. Based on the poll on the right, there are not many sponsors who sponsor a child in Chile, Honduras, nor India. For those of you who do sponsor children there, do you want me to add your country to the list? We have to have participation of at least two sponsors to be able to ship to that center. (otherwise there won't be enough $ for shipping). The same goes for any of the countries listed above that have more than one community center.

The Philippines and Guatemala are the 2 that concern me the most. How many community centers do each of those countries have? Which of these centers would you all like to send packages to?

Now, as for Colombia... I had one last order, so I am purchasing all of the items for the Colombian children now. Be expecting pictures of the items by the end of the week.

Also, don't forget that you can include a letter to your child with your items. If you decide to include a letter, just e-mail me the word document. I will print it off and put it inside the Ziploc bag with the child's name and ID # on it.

A Look Back 2009 Part 3

#8 This project provided money for Wilfredo's child Alia in the Philippines to buy:

food

pots and pans

shoes

bike

and an IGP to sell fish!

Amount raised: $225.00

Project completed by 6/14/09


#9 This project raised money for Holly's child Yoselyn in Honduras and her family to buy:

1 Full size bed
1 Gas stove
1 Gas tank
1 Food basket
5 Pairs of sandals
3 Underwear
4 Pairs of socks
2 School supplies
2 Girl's suits

Amount raised: $215.00

Project completed on 6/20/09

#10 This project raised money for the following items for Heather G's child Diego in Ecuador:

1 Twin size mattress
1 Plastic chest of drawers
1 Mosquito net
2 Bed sheet sets
2 T-shirts
2 Jean pants
2 Shoes
1 Mattress transportation
1 Hand towel

Amount raised: $215.00

Project completed: 6/29/09

On Vacation

I'm on vacation and have a REALLY bad internet connection. Bare with me. You will see some posts pop up by Monday night. I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

English Books Now Available!

Books in English are now available at the web-store!

http://makeachangemac.webs.com/apps/webstore/

Just in time to get ready for the Summer Reading Package to Zambia!

The above are just some of the books I have added. I will add more as I get a chance. There is something for every age group there now from PreK to young adult. Including the book at the very top of this post that is an adventure in East Africa (Thunder Cave).

Don't forget to let me know the child's name & ID #. Also, on the 3 packs of books, you can seperate them out to different children. They don't have to all 3 go to one child, but I just need to know which ones you want for each child (if you have a preference).

Summer Reading Packages~ Colombia & Zambia

Remember to get in your orders tomorrow for the packages going to Colombia. The deadline for orders is Dec. 26th!

Next country for the Summer Reading Package is Zambia! Since the shipping to Zambia is usually months longer than the other countries, I am hoping that this advance shipping will allow for the package to arrive on time for Summer break.

That means I will be posting English language books on the web-site soon. The deadline to order books, games, and other items in the store for Zambia will be January 8th.

Be looking for the English language books on the web-store by December 29th (if not sooner).

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope every one has a great Christmas! Enjoy your families!

A Christmas Surprise for Kasumba Brian

Mack's sponsor child at CUS is Kasumba Brian. He had been in need of a sponsor for a while, and his family has always been noted as being desperate for any help.

Mack took him on as her child, and even sent him a package & monetary donation for new clothes for Christmas. This is what Hellen had to say:

"There was too much excitement especially when I bought their gift clothes and called them to make selections. Brian Kasumba's body was just shaking and was supprised at the very expensive cloth and moreover that they were bright and new and not second hand. The mother was equally suprised as you know they are a very desperate family. She wanted to thank the sponsor very much for the Christmas gift."

A Look Back 2009 Part 2~ All IGP's!

#4 Henry is my child (Heather M), and he lives in Cartagena, Colombia. His family has struggled to keep employment and a steady income. When I first started sponsoring him, his family was living on $25 a month!! Now, his family is at $105 a month. This is extremely low, so this fundraiser was very important for the family.

Amount raised: $215 by 5/6/09

What the family received:
Items needed to start their own restaurant
1 set of 12 pieces of cutlery
4 plastic tables
16 plastic chairs
1 can opener
1 pitcher
1 fryer
1 blender
1 grater
1 fan

The amount needed to start the business was way more than what we could raise at that time. For this reason, I have requested an update from the field to see how much more the family needs to get the business off the ground.

#5 Alejandra and Fabiola are Su's children in Mexico. They wanted to start a business selling small items in order to add income to the household.

Amount raised: $290 by 5/12/09

Items bought for the business:

toys

plates

cups

bowls

and more! (take a look at the picture to see just how much they were about to buy to sell)

#6 Brenda is Chrystal's child in Guatemala. They family was in need of income to provide for their basic needs. This fundraiser set up Brenda's family to have an ice drink business.

Amount raised: $265 by 5/20/09

Items purchased for the business:

A machine to make ice drinks

A juice extractor

6 glasses

200 oranges

A Look Back 2009 Part 1

#1 Janet was the first child ever to receive our group's donations! Janet is Robyn's sponsor child. She lives in Zambia. She was in great need of the items in order to start school. Luckily, we were able to provide them just in time! She even received a bed and food items!

We raised: $215 by 4/19/09

Janet received:

1 –Bag of rice,
1- Bag of Mealie Meal,
1- Container of cooking Oil
1 - Bag of Sugar
1 - Blanket
1 – Bed
1 – Uniform
1 - School Bag
1 - Pair of shoes
1 – Miscellaneous bags of Beans, Flour, Groundnuts
1 – Kapenta (sardines)

#2 Miguel is Barbara sponsor child in Mexico. He was sharing a bed with his parents, and desperately needed a bed of his own.

We raised: $215 by 4/30/09

Miguel received:

1 Bed

1 Chest of drawers

1 Bedspread

1 Set of bedsheets

1 Pair of shoes

#3 Katherine is Jim's sponsor child who lives in Ecuador. She was in need of nutritional supplies and a bed to keep her healthy.

We raised: $200 by 5/2/09

Katherine received:

1 Blender
3 Pediasure bottles
1 Portable gas stove
1 Full size mattress
1 Bed sheets

Lollipops for the Summer Packages

I have just added these Gourmet Lollies to the Web-Store. They are for the package being sent for the Summer Reading Program. I have just gotten word from one sponsor who for sure will not be able to get in on the Colombia packages until after Christmas, so we will keep the after Christmas deadline~ Dec 26th as the cut off for orders for the children in Barranquilla & Cartagena, Colombia:

http://makeachangemac.webs.com/apps/webstore/

Wrapping Up the Packages to Colombia

I have all of the books and things ready to go to Barranquilla & Cartagena, Colombia. I just want to make sure that I have everyone who wishes to participate covered. Let me know now if you still want to get in on this Colombia Summer Package. Speak now or forever hold your peace... Or, you don't have to hold your peace forever, but you won't be able to get in on the Colombia packages until Summer 2010 when I am getting the Christmas packages ready.

If you still want to order books and toys for your child or children, you can order directly from the web store: http://makeachangemac.webs.com/apps/webstore/

If I don't get any more orders by Dec. 26th, I will ship these two packages out on December 28th.

Are there any of you who are ready to send book packages to your kids? If so, please comment on this post with your country & city preferences.

For Sponsor Children in Mexico

Any of you that have children using the CI community Centers in Mexico, I can tell you who their favorite soccer team is.

When I lived in Mexico for a few months, I lived in the state right next to Jalisco (where Guadalajara is). The people in the state where I lived as well as the states surrounding it are always fans of the same team: Aguilas del America.

Aguilas del America (or you will hear them say their favorite team is "America", and that is what they are referring to) is the team for Mexico City. However, since Jalisco does not have a soccer team of their own, they choose "America" as their team.

Above is the jersey for the team. I have someone that is willing to sell them to me in bulk (10 or more) for $10 a piece. I can include these jerseys in the Summer Reading Package for Mexico, if I have enough people who are interested. I would sell them for $12, so that $2 can be used for the international shipping.

Let me know if any of you are interested. If there are enough of you, I will get these for the group for the Mexico Package. Also, I did order a sample shirt. I am going to have Jaden put it on when it arrives to give an idea of sizing.

Do You Care? $9,002.70 worth!

Absolutely! If this doesn't speak for just how much each of you care about these children, I don't know what does?!?!

We have reached the $9,000 mark and surpassed it, and we still have 10 days left in 2009.
If any one had asked me back in February & March when I was still working to get all of the ideas and things together how much I thought we would raise for the year... I may have said $1,000. I don't know. I can tell you that I never expected you all to come through like you did.

Why didn't I think that a group of people could raise so much money? Well, first of all, in this world it seems like most people are focused on themselves. It is all about how much they can get for themselves, or "What's in it for me?" These fundraisers give nothing physical to the donor except feelings that they are helping someone else.

With that much money having been donated in 9 months, we should have a whole lot of people walking around with those "feelings". It's not a new car that you can parade in front of your co-workers or a multi-million dollar mansion to show everyone "you have arrived". It is only the feelings that you have inside for what you have done. I am sure they are shining through and rubbing off on those around you!

There is a song that we sang in church when I was growing up. It is very appropriate here. This is how it goes:

"Because I have been given much, I too must give,
Because of Thy great bounty Lord each day I live!
I shall divide my gifts from Thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share-

my glowing fire, my loaf of bread-

my roof’s safe shelter over head,

that he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by Thy great love dear Lord,

I’ll share thy love again according to thy word.

I shall give love to those in need.

I’ll show that love by word and deed,

thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed."

And, nothing more needs to be said- You ALL are living it!

A Final Plea before Christmas

We are already only a few days away from Christmas! I don't know about you all, but it has been crazy around my house all month long!! Some things that I have been meaning to do have fallen through the cracks somehow. I will have to run out this week and do the last of my Christmas shopping (and I am not a last minute shopping kind of person). It scares me that I won't be able to find the "perfect gift" for the 3 people left on my list!

Oh, the worries we have!

I have been thinking about Dee's children Jose Manuel and Yamileisy these past few days. Mostly because their fundraiser hasn't gotten a single donation. I am trying to internalize exactly how it would feel to be in their shoes.

Until recently, they were using a community latrine! Those are just words, but I want you to think about it for a minute. Have you or your children (if you have any) ever woken up in the middle of the night needing to run to the rest room? Would you feel comfortable having your kids go out to the community latrine at 3AM?

Then, I thought of my husband's grandmother. His grandmother built her own home, and it is quite a piece of work (considering it was done by people who had never built a house before in their lives). However, it is laking a few things. There is one toilet, but when there are 10 people in the house inevitably, you are going to need to go and being waiting impatiently outside the bathroom door for the person inside to finish. Imagine if you have to share a toilet with a whole community!!!

The family finally got the bathroom they needed, thanks to Dee's hard work and determination. That is one less thing to worry about. I am sure the family is very happy to have that!

Their income is only $70. I am not sure how they are able to buy all of the food and other necessities. I imagine there are a lot of necessities that they have to go without.

The family is not asking for a handout. In fact, they didn't ask for any thing. However, Dee saw an extremely poor family and wanted to help them change their situation. When approached by CI about an IGP, the family took us up on it. This business could easily help them double their income.

In the Dominican Republic, unemployment is high, and it is difficult to find and keep a job. This gives them something they can do on their own.

I know this is Christmas week, and every one has a lot going on. This is all I am asking of you...

If everyone could just donate $10, we could make a big dent in this fundraiser. And, I will leave you alone until after Christmas :0)

http://www.firstgiving.com/dominicanfamilyigp

Direct Packages Being Sent to Colombia

The dolls are all a medium tone with brown eyes and come in 3 different outfit choices- dark pink, light pink, and light purple.

The mini Play-Doh Factory comes with 2 tubs of Play-Doh (green and orange) and a Play-Doh shaper

Below are a few of the styles of hot wheel cars available:

Some new small items have been added to the Make a Change Store. These items are toys you can purchase that will be shipped directly to your sponsor child/children! The first packages are going to Cartagena & Barranquilla, Colombia. If you would like to send your child any of these items (they will be included with the Summer Reading Package), please go to the web-store and purchase from there:
http://makeachangemac.webs.com/apps/webstore/

Once the orders are collected, this is what happens on my end as an example:

The Hot Wheels car was bought for $4 on the web-site,

I buy the Hot Wheels car that is needed for $1.08

I pay for the shipping to the community center (If we have enough people participating, the actual shipping cost for this item will not be so high because it will be shipping with other things...) So, as an example case scenario, the shipping cost for this item is $2

The profit for this item would be $.92.

The profit is then disbursed into the current fundraiser under the sponsor's name.