How to help a Russian Orphan

Friends, thank you so much for your donations to Bennett's Angel Tree Fund so far! We are up to $45! I am so happy!!

You can donate as much or as little as you want via Paypal. (You can also mail in checks - click here for information.) The money does not go through me, and I do not see who it is making the donations. But to those of you who have donated- THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

The goal is $1,000 by New Years. Every time another $100 comes in, I promise to make a YouTube video of me doing a happy dance. If you personally donate $100, I will let you pick the song I dance to. And if you donate a minimum of $35 Reece's Rainbow will send you an ornament with sweet little Bennett's face on it. And if you donate just $5 or $10, I promise to give you lots of hugs and happy thoughts!

Think about all the ways you could waste $10 today. Isn't there something you could cut back on or save money doing? And then remember how much that $10 would mean to getting Bennett adopted!

Thank you!!

If you haven't done so yet, please read my previous post about Bennett and the Angel Tree Fund. 

Be a Christmas Warrior for Bennett

I'm Bennett's 2011 Christmas Warrior!
Click Photo to Learn More!

Friends, meet Bennett. You and I are about to make a huge difference in this little man's life!

Bennett is a beautiful little 5 yr old boy living in an orphanage in Russia. He has Down's Syndrome and if he's not adopted soon he will be sent to live in an institution for the rest of his short life.

Reece's Rainbow is an amazing organization that helps families adopt children with Down's Syndrome, HIV, and other physical disabilities, by collecting tax deductible donations and putting them into funds for each individual child. Do you know my amazing friends the Riebens with the 5 adopted children (soon to be 7) (and their beautiful biological triplets)? Their adoptions were blessed with assistance from Reece's Rainbow. Since Reece's Rainbow began 5 years ago, over 500+ children and their families have been financially assisted in their adoptions with these grants.

International adoptions can cost more than $20,000, even up to $40,000. There are families who would love to bring these sweet children home, but finding the money to do it is difficult. Every cent you donate goes to bringing Bennett home!

I have signed up this year to be Bennett's Christmas Warrior. Throughout November I will be personally raising money for Bennett's adoption fund. If you donate at least $35 Reece's Rainbow will send you your own Angel Tree Christmas Ornament with Bennett's picture on it! Wouldn't that be a great gift for friends? Donate $35 in their name, and give them the ornament! I know I would love such a meaningful gift!

And I want to add my own little prize to the pot. For each $100 that is raised through my links for Bennett, I will do my very own happy dance video! The donations are direct to Reece's Rainbow, so I won't touch the money or see the names. But if you want to tell me (on your honor) that you made a $100 or greater donation, I will even let you pick the song that I dance to! Just to make sure we are clear- for every $100 that the count goes up, I will do a happy dance video. But if you personally tell me you donated $100 or more, you get to pick the song I dance to.

Are you ready? You can click on Bennett's picture, you can click on his name, or you can click right here to DONATE TO BENNETT'S ANGEL TREE FUND!!!
His total account is currently at $2207.50, with zero from Angel Tree. As soon as the Angel Tree donations hit $100, I'll do my first happy dance!


More information on Reece's Rainbow, the Angel Tree, and how to send a check.

PS- lest there be any confusion, I am NOT looking to adopt Bennett myself. I wish I were in a position to be adopting such a beautiful child right now. But I am not. Donations to Bennett, go to Bennett. Not to me!

Dusty gets a family!!

A beautiful family has committed to adopt Dusty!! Donating to Reece's Rainbow works!!
So now let's get Katie a family!

This little doll is HIV+ and in an orphanage in Russia. If she is not adopted within the next 1-2 years she will be turned out to live on the streets. Because she is an orphan and HIV+, no one will give her a job or assistance once she is turned out. She will have no future.
Donating to her fund will help a family be able to afford to adopt her. In the US (or another Western country) she would live a very full life with decent medical care and a family to love her!
And you never know just who might be the family that is lucky enough to adopt this little darling!! It may just be someone you know! (Dusty's family is from my hometown!!)

Reece's Rainbow and Dusty

Thoughts of adoption and loving little children are never far from my heart. Two of my heroes and inspirations are my friends Richard and Valerie Rieben, who have adopted 4.75 special needs children (#5 joins the family in January, and #6 comes in 2011), and have triplet homemade darlings.
Richard and Valerie have introduced me to Reece's Rainbow. RR is wonderful organization that raises funds for the adoptions of special needs children in international orphanages. Many families would love to adopt these special children, but just can't find the $19,000-$30,000 it can take to adopt! Reece's Rainbow allows individuals like you and me donate money to help bring these beautiful children and families together.
The Riebens have chosen Dusty as their Christmas project. They will not be adopting Dusty. They are raising funds to help someone else be able to afford to adopt Dusty. I have decided to assist and support them in these efforts.

Dusty is 5 years old. He was born with Down Syndrome and other challenges. Birth trauma affecting multiple internal organs/systems. Multiple instances of CNS damage. Ischemic cardiopathy, Anemic stage 3, prematurity stage 1. His orphanage has a history of medicating the children, so many of them look sleepy and zoned out in their photos. (How sick is that?!)
Somewhere there is a family out there that could love this little man. With proper Western medical care he could thrive and live a healthier, longer life. If he is not adopted soon, he will be sent from the orphanage to a mental institution (where all children go when not adopted), where he will likely die from lack of care and provisions for his needs. 
I hope you will consider donating a few dollars to Dusty's fund. How about skipping Starbucks this week? Or buying a few less iTunes? Or telling your Secret Santa at work that instead of a new stapler, you would appreciate a donation to Dusty and/or Reece's Rainbow? Or spending $10 less on a frivolous gift, and instead, send it to Dusty?
For the month of December there will be a link of the side of my blog reminding you about Dusty. Please join me and the Riebens in giving Dusty the chance to have a family!
To donate just click Dusty's name, and then the DONATE button on his page. If you would like to participate in the Rieben's quilt and fundraiser for Dusty visit their blog!


I have to also mention this beautiful little girl- Katie. Isn't she just darling? Oh how I wish my circumstances were different right now. I'd take her home in a heartbeat!