Now that Halloween is over and November has arrived, we can start getting ready for Chrismtas! I know that some of you will be wanting a Christmas or seasonal design on your blog to celebrate the holiday, so I decided to offer a deal!
If you would like a Christmas or winter holiday themed blog, you can take part in this $40 discount. For $40, I will create not only your holiday themed blog, but also a new design for you to switch to after the holidays are over. These two designs would usually cost $50, so you would be saving $10 if you use this discount. I will make both designs when you contact me. I will install your holiday blog, and then save the other blog on your blogspot account and install it whenever you email me after the holidays.
Please email me and write Holiday Discount in the subject line if you are interested in taking part in this deal. I have linked some great holiday kits below that you may be interested in!
"Jingle Jangle" $5.99
http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=17081&cat=0&page=2
"It's A Wrap" $5.99
http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=17078&cat=0&page=2
"Dear Santa" $5.99
http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=17552&cat=0&page=4
"Happy Feet" $6
http://www.scraporchard.com/market/product.php?productid=17703&cat=0&page=1
"Winter Wonderland" free
http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/10/winter-wonderland-kit.html
Welcome
Hi everyone! My name is Nikki and I am a University student living in Canada. With the help of funds raised through Blogs for a Cause, I have travelled to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Ethiopia to do volunteer work. I am now raising money to head back to the country that has stolen my heart; the Dominican Republic. I will be there for 2 weeks over Christmas. In May of 2010, I will be moving there to do longer term work. To do this, I am going to stylize blogs for $30 each. Of this cost, $25 will go towards funding my work and $5 will go to a Charity of the Month. My experiences in the DR, Haiti, and Ethiopia have completely changed my life. I now have a passion for working with impoverished families and helping to improve their quality of life... and I need your help to do this.The first step is to send me an email at ncochrane3@hotmail.com I will then ask you several questions so I can get the best idea of what you want in your blog design. You will pick the digi scrap kit you want used in your blog (see Go Shopping links on my sidebar)- but make sure to check with me before purchasing it so I can explain how it works and let you know if it is a good kit.
Next, I will come up with something and put it on a test blog. I will email you the link to the test blog to see if you want changes, and then if all is good I will add it to your blog. I will also add a link to this website on your blog, and I ask that you keep it there to help attract new customers.
With the $30 that you pay, you will get a personalized header, a matching background, and a new layout. If you do not like the design I come up with, I can start fresh free of charge. If you still would like further changes, you will have to pay an additional fee as this can get very time consuming.
In the future if you would like changes, I will charge $5-10 to switch in new photos and $25 for a new design for 2nd time customers.
Thank you so much for supporting me in this dream. It is because of people like you that I will be able to return to the DR and make a difference in these kids' lives.
Charity of the Month
Last month we raised $90 for a women's program in Haiti.
For the next little while, we will be raising money for DOVE Missions, based in the Dominican Republic. You can view their blog HERE, and their website HERE. DOVE is run by a woman named Liz who lives in Puerto Plata. She operates a Boys Club and a Girls Club for the poorest children of Puerto Plata. The kids in the Clubs receive english lessons, art lessons, and fun and education several times weekly. Their families also receive vouchers to buy groceries every month. This is one of the programs that I work with when I am in the DR. I will bring this money down with me, when I go for 2 weeks in December, and will see where DOVE needs the money the most at that time.
For the next little while, we will be raising money for DOVE Missions, based in the Dominican Republic. You can view their blog HERE, and their website HERE. DOVE is run by a woman named Liz who lives in Puerto Plata. She operates a Boys Club and a Girls Club for the poorest children of Puerto Plata. The kids in the Clubs receive english lessons, art lessons, and fun and education several times weekly. Their families also receive vouchers to buy groceries every month. This is one of the programs that I work with when I am in the DR. I will bring this money down with me, when I go for 2 weeks in December, and will see where DOVE needs the money the most at that time.
November Blogs
So far, we have raised $220 for DOVE Missions, a program running a Boys Club and Girls Club in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. $100 of this has already been donated for school uniforms for some of the kids, and the rest will be hand delivered to the DR this Christmas when I go to volunteer.
Digesting Grace: Danielle blogs about her experiences in Haiti.
My Crazy Adoption: Kari has three kids, her youngest adopted from Ethiopia. She uses her blog to write about her family, and to encourage other parents to adopt.
From Ethiopia With Love: Liz has four kids, and one of her daughters (Tess) was adopted from Ethiopia. She is now in the process of adopting a 6 year old girl from Ethiopia.
Zehlahlum Family: Jamey has two sons, and is adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia.
Digesting Grace: Danielle blogs about her experiences in Haiti.
My Crazy Adoption: Kari has three kids, her youngest adopted from Ethiopia. She uses her blog to write about her family, and to encourage other parents to adopt.
From Ethiopia With Love: Liz has four kids, and one of her daughters (Tess) was adopted from Ethiopia. She is now in the process of adopting a 6 year old girl from Ethiopia.
Zehlahlum Family: Jamey has two sons, and is adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia.
Money Donated
The following is a summary of where the funds raised through Blogs for a Cause have gone.
KIVA: We raised $100 to Kiva, a micro-lending organization. The money was lent to Hannah Ademoriyo, a happily married woman in Nigeria with five children. She is 38 years old and comes from Ajamgbandin in Lagos State, Nigeria. She grinds pepper, tomatoes and beans for people living in her community. She has been in this business since 1997 and she is in need of a loan of $450 to buy bathing slippers to add to her shop to sell. She said it will enable her to add an additional source of income. The great thing about KIVA is that we are able to help people living in poverty help themselves, and they will continue to do so even after they stop receiving donations.
Real Hope for Haiti: We raised $540 for Real Hope For Haiti. Lori and Licia are sisters who live in Haiti and run a Rescue Centre for children who are very ill, or who have no one to care for them, as well as a medical clinic. Many of these children are suffering from severe malnutrition. Some have come to the clinic too late and pass away before Lori and Licia can help them, all because of a lack of healthy food. The money raised the first time RHFH was the Charity of the Month went to the Diaper Fund to purchase diapers for the kids living in the Rescue Centre. Money raised after that went towards wherever it was most needed. There are many supplies needed to keep the Rescue Centre going, so money went towards things like food for the kids, medicine, pay for the staff, etc.
Santiago Orphanage: We raised $400 for the Santiago Orphanage in the Dominican Republic. This orphanage is for children with special needs, and many of them are stateless and will never be adopted. I have visited this orphanage several times in the past two summers that I have volunteered in the DR, and hand delivered the donations to them. There are 74 children in the orphanage, most of whom have cerebral palsy. They have very few toys or anything really to stimulate them; most of them lie in their cribs staring at the ceiling for hours at a time, as there is very few staff compared to the number of children. Money goes towards food, pay of staff, upkeep of the orphanage, any medicine, etc. The little girl pictured in my arms is Rosie. She is 8 years old and was left at the orphanage in a garbage bag at just a few days old, leaving her with several disabilities. She has grown up in the orphanage and has never seen outside its walls.
Mayan Families: We raised $655 for Mayan Families. We were able to sponsor Sara to go to school for a year (we paid for her grade 5 year, and she has now graduated to grade 6), and buy her traditional clothing, and materials for her grandfather to have surgery. We were also able to send her Mother a Mother's Day basket of food, and buy an onil stove for a different family in need. Lastly, we were able to provide food to the family of a little girl named Ingrid who was sick in the hospital. Mayan Families provides care to indigenous students and families in Guatemala, in the Lake Atitlan region. This group has provided sponsorship for hundreds of students to go to school, and for just as many families to be assisted by their many programs, such as the micro-loan program, the sewing program, and an iniative to provide the families with clean drinking water.
William's Adoption: We raised $250 to help Jen bring home her son from Liberia, William. William has special needs, including deformed toes and fingers, an absent left leg, and a bilateral cleft palate and lip. He had the first of many surgeries to reconstruct his face while still in Liberia and will be starting occupational and speech therapy in the coming year. William is now home and adjusting to life in America with his new family! One of his sisters, Naomi, was also adopted from Liberia with caustic ingestion. His parents, brother, and three sisters are enjoying getting to know their new brother, and have recently announced that William will soon be a big brother!
His Hands for Haiti: We raised $250 to send reusable menstrual pads to the young girls who go to the schools that His Hands sponsors, so that they won't need to miss classes when they have their period. The leftover money was sent to go towards the schools that HH4H works with, to provide pay for the teachers, go towards lunch programs, or to buy educational material for the classes. His Hands for Haiti is a wonderful program providing education to Haitian children through child sponsorship. They charge two payments of $40 each year to sponsor a child and work within eight communities in Northeast Haiti. They also offer two trips each year for sponsors to travel to Haiti to meet their sponsored children and see the work that is being done in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.
Red Letters Campaign: We raised $100 for RLC's Ethiopia Launch program. They are raising money to provide care for over 1000 orphans in Ethiopia! They have paired up with several Ethiopian orphanages and are looking for communities, churches, and individuals to sponsor these kids for $30 each month. They offer trips to meet the orphans and hope that the funds pooled together from sponsorship will provide long-term care for the kids, providing things like food, care, water, and education for the orphans. They do work outside of Ethiopia as well, connecting socially conscious people around the world through their website as they offer resources to learn about and help to put an end to extreme global poverty.
Apac School Project: We raised $120 to help Kate build a school in Uganda! Kate is a really inspiring 17 year old and she has taken on a HUGE project. It is her goal to raise $60,000 to build a school in Apac, Uganda. This will include a school (14 classrooms), breakfast and lunch program, dormitories to house 400 students, and some other unique programs aimed at helping rehabilitate the children from the attrocities they have faced. You can read more about Kate's vision on her website, The Apac School Project. Many of the children in Uganda are desparate for education after many schools were burned down by rebels. A classroom opened for 70 children and over 600 showed up. This school would make a HUGE difference in their lives and in the future of Uganda.
We raised $90 for an organization in Haiti led by Heartline Ministries. It is a women's program and has four components- The prenatal class meets once a week with pregnant women to provide prenatal care and to help ensure that their babies are born healthily. Once a woman gives birth, they can enter the Early Childhood Development Class. This class provides education on caring for their newborn babies and other children in the family. Each woman and her child can stay in this class for one year. The literacy class meets three times a week to teach Creole reading and writing and lasts for about four months. It is a pre-requisite to our Sewing Class, which is a six month class teaches women how to sew and run a business. The Women's Program helps very poor women who often have no other options. They are, in many cases, suffering domestic abuse, struggling with poverty and malnutrition, and dealing with trying to take care of their children. These classes really have the power to change their lives and the futures of their kids. You can further support by purchasing their bags from Haitian Creations.
KIVA: We raised $100 to Kiva, a micro-lending organization. The money was lent to Hannah Ademoriyo, a happily married woman in Nigeria with five children. She is 38 years old and comes from Ajamgbandin in Lagos State, Nigeria. She grinds pepper, tomatoes and beans for people living in her community. She has been in this business since 1997 and she is in need of a loan of $450 to buy bathing slippers to add to her shop to sell. She said it will enable her to add an additional source of income. The great thing about KIVA is that we are able to help people living in poverty help themselves, and they will continue to do so even after they stop receiving donations.
Real Hope for Haiti: We raised $540 for Real Hope For Haiti. Lori and Licia are sisters who live in Haiti and run a Rescue Centre for children who are very ill, or who have no one to care for them, as well as a medical clinic. Many of these children are suffering from severe malnutrition. Some have come to the clinic too late and pass away before Lori and Licia can help them, all because of a lack of healthy food. The money raised the first time RHFH was the Charity of the Month went to the Diaper Fund to purchase diapers for the kids living in the Rescue Centre. Money raised after that went towards wherever it was most needed. There are many supplies needed to keep the Rescue Centre going, so money went towards things like food for the kids, medicine, pay for the staff, etc.
Santiago Orphanage: We raised $400 for the Santiago Orphanage in the Dominican Republic. This orphanage is for children with special needs, and many of them are stateless and will never be adopted. I have visited this orphanage several times in the past two summers that I have volunteered in the DR, and hand delivered the donations to them. There are 74 children in the orphanage, most of whom have cerebral palsy. They have very few toys or anything really to stimulate them; most of them lie in their cribs staring at the ceiling for hours at a time, as there is very few staff compared to the number of children. Money goes towards food, pay of staff, upkeep of the orphanage, any medicine, etc. The little girl pictured in my arms is Rosie. She is 8 years old and was left at the orphanage in a garbage bag at just a few days old, leaving her with several disabilities. She has grown up in the orphanage and has never seen outside its walls.
Mayan Families: We raised $655 for Mayan Families. We were able to sponsor Sara to go to school for a year (we paid for her grade 5 year, and she has now graduated to grade 6), and buy her traditional clothing, and materials for her grandfather to have surgery. We were also able to send her Mother a Mother's Day basket of food, and buy an onil stove for a different family in need. Lastly, we were able to provide food to the family of a little girl named Ingrid who was sick in the hospital. Mayan Families provides care to indigenous students and families in Guatemala, in the Lake Atitlan region. This group has provided sponsorship for hundreds of students to go to school, and for just as many families to be assisted by their many programs, such as the micro-loan program, the sewing program, and an iniative to provide the families with clean drinking water.
William's Adoption: We raised $250 to help Jen bring home her son from Liberia, William. William has special needs, including deformed toes and fingers, an absent left leg, and a bilateral cleft palate and lip. He had the first of many surgeries to reconstruct his face while still in Liberia and will be starting occupational and speech therapy in the coming year. William is now home and adjusting to life in America with his new family! One of his sisters, Naomi, was also adopted from Liberia with caustic ingestion. His parents, brother, and three sisters are enjoying getting to know their new brother, and have recently announced that William will soon be a big brother!
His Hands for Haiti: We raised $250 to send reusable menstrual pads to the young girls who go to the schools that His Hands sponsors, so that they won't need to miss classes when they have their period. The leftover money was sent to go towards the schools that HH4H works with, to provide pay for the teachers, go towards lunch programs, or to buy educational material for the classes. His Hands for Haiti is a wonderful program providing education to Haitian children through child sponsorship. They charge two payments of $40 each year to sponsor a child and work within eight communities in Northeast Haiti. They also offer two trips each year for sponsors to travel to Haiti to meet their sponsored children and see the work that is being done in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.
Red Letters Campaign: We raised $100 for RLC's Ethiopia Launch program. They are raising money to provide care for over 1000 orphans in Ethiopia! They have paired up with several Ethiopian orphanages and are looking for communities, churches, and individuals to sponsor these kids for $30 each month. They offer trips to meet the orphans and hope that the funds pooled together from sponsorship will provide long-term care for the kids, providing things like food, care, water, and education for the orphans. They do work outside of Ethiopia as well, connecting socially conscious people around the world through their website as they offer resources to learn about and help to put an end to extreme global poverty.
Apac School Project: We raised $120 to help Kate build a school in Uganda! Kate is a really inspiring 17 year old and she has taken on a HUGE project. It is her goal to raise $60,000 to build a school in Apac, Uganda. This will include a school (14 classrooms), breakfast and lunch program, dormitories to house 400 students, and some other unique programs aimed at helping rehabilitate the children from the attrocities they have faced. You can read more about Kate's vision on her website, The Apac School Project. Many of the children in Uganda are desparate for education after many schools were burned down by rebels. A classroom opened for 70 children and over 600 showed up. This school would make a HUGE difference in their lives and in the future of Uganda.
We raised $90 for an organization in Haiti led by Heartline Ministries. It is a women's program and has four components- The prenatal class meets once a week with pregnant women to provide prenatal care and to help ensure that their babies are born healthily. Once a woman gives birth, they can enter the Early Childhood Development Class. This class provides education on caring for their newborn babies and other children in the family. Each woman and her child can stay in this class for one year. The literacy class meets three times a week to teach Creole reading and writing and lasts for about four months. It is a pre-requisite to our Sewing Class, which is a six month class teaches women how to sew and run a business. The Women's Program helps very poor women who often have no other options. They are, in many cases, suffering domestic abuse, struggling with poverty and malnutrition, and dealing with trying to take care of their children. These classes really have the power to change their lives and the futures of their kids. You can further support by purchasing their bags from Haitian Creations.
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