June Update
 
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.
   But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be
   less because of that missing drop. - Mother Teresa
   
The more we learn of the needs in this world, the more we understand how big the ocean is that we are a part of.  While I have many exciting things to share with you, I want to start by relaying the story of a few children.  These children are precious drops of water in the vast ocean of humanity and these stories are representative of so many more drops of water.
   
Lydiah is an 11 year old girl who has a very serious heart condition known as tetrology of fallot.  Most children do not live this long with this condition.  With an operation Lydiah has a 96% chance of having a normal life.  Right now, she is living on borrowed time.  The good news is that money has been raised for Lydiah to have the surgery.  Unfortunately, Lydiah's family is very poor.  They cannot afford enough to eat, which places Lydiah at great risk going into the surgery because she is undernourished.  Her family is currently suffering from the loss of her little brother who was 1 year old.  He died one week ago of Malaria on the way to the hospital.  They were unable to get him early treatment due to the lack of money.  A $5 medication could have saved his life.  
   
Jael was a primary school student who dreamed of having an orange dress and going to secondary school.  She was very excited to have a sponsor who was paying for her school fees to make a part of this dream a reality.  Jael was not on the food program at the school because the money the school had available for food was not enough for the number of children in need.  Unfortunately, Jael was not getting enough food at home either.  It simply couldn't be afforded.  Due to the lack of nutrition, Jael developed severe anemia and died in the hospital before help could be given to her.  A few dollars would have helped this young girl see her dream of attending secondary school.

Oliver was also a young boy who enjoyed school.  He really liked counting.  Oliver was another boy who didn't have enough food and wasn't on the school's food program.  He was literally starving.  He and his friends decided to hitch a ride on a truck to where the trash is taken in search of some food.  On the way back to school, Oliver fell off the truck in front of another vehicle and was killed.  Having food at the school would have kept Oliver off of that truck, and he would probably still be alive today. 

These are the stories we have been listening to this past month.  These and many others, as we expand our work in Africa.  All of these children could still be alive for only a few dollars.  What really breaks our hearts is knowing that there are many, many more children in the same place as these young ones and it is only a matter of time before they are helped or meet the same fate.

I want to tell you about two programs that Angel Covers is working on.  The first is Jael's Promise.  Named in memory of this sweet little girl who could have been helped in at the hospital if the money had been available, Jael's Promise is a medical fund to meet the emergency needs of children in the Nairobi area where Jael lived.  Had this fund been in place earlier, Lydiah's younger brother could have benefited by receiving the malaria medication that he so desparately needed.  This fund will be used to buy medicine, fund surgeries, or whatever the current medical need that may arise.  If the money is available, these children's lives can be saved.  Please help us provide the needed medical treatment to help these children.  A special thanks goes to Holly, Lorna and Lu for giving birth to this amazing fund and trusting Angel Covers with its care.

The second program is a chicken project.  A few months ago we helped start a chicken project in Racin.  A similar project is currently going in Nairobi, but it is on a smaller scale.  This program needs to be expanded to help the children receive food they need and prevent the needless deaths like Oliver's.  For $40, enough chickens can be purchased to add a child to the food program.  This will provide money to purchase food from the sale of eggs and feed a child as long as they are at the orphanage. Of course the chickens will also provide food from the eggs and meat.  It is a tremendous self-sustaining program.  Oliver is remembered by those who knew him by his drawing of a purple number 4.  It only takes 4 people to send us $10 to make sure the next Oliver is not hungry.  Please take a moment and donate now!

The director at the orphanage and school we have been working with says this: "I cannot tell you how much a difference it will make to get the project working. There are starving children who have to go to find food - they cannot work or study when they are hungry. Every extra mouth we feed gives hope to the next child in the queue."  It will take 4 to 5 months for the chickens to begin producing eggs and making food a reality for these children.  We really need to start this project right away.  Again, a special thanks goes to Holly, Lorna, and Lu for allowing us to build on this amazing project they began.  We are honored to be working with you!

This past month has seen a lot of activity.  Kristine took $500 with her to Romania where she will be working is working at an orphanage and a baby house.  Part of the money was spent to purchase snugglies that the nannies had requested.  Kristine also took some toys for the children.  We are very excited to hear about the rest she was able to accomplish while she was there.

Barb has been in Russia. She took an amazing amount of clothing, toys, shoes and other supplies with her.  We look forward to updating you on her trip!  As well as visiting orphanages and working with the children, Barb was working on some logistical details as we hope to start a playground program, nutrition program, and help for children who have HIV/AIDS in many orphanages.

The Hands of Hope Wall is about to begin construction in China.  We are thrilled to see the project coming to an end.  At the end of May a banquet was held in Bejing to mark the beginning of the Relief Fund for Chinese and Special Need Children.  We hope that the China Association of Social Workers is able to accomplish all they have hoped and planned for.  With over 1 million orphans in China we know the need is great and will continue to work to support these children.  This month we were able to send money through Love Without Boundaries to help with food and vitamins for nutrition programs in very needy orphanages as well as provide additional education dollars.

We are excited to have accomplished so much in Africa in the past month.  We were able to help complete the funds for Lydiah to receive heart surgery.  We have also been able to help 4 children attend public high school, and one girl who scored exceptionally well on her exams to attend a private high school.  If you are interested in helping to sponsor a child receive an education or a place to live contact us.  There is so much need for sponsorship, not only for education, but also just to help keep children in the orphanages.  I will talk more about that next month, but if you would like to help, contact us, or send a donation marked for us to use as orphanage sponsorship in Africa.  You can send a child to school for as little as $10 a month!

Don't forget our giftcard selection with Father's Day approaching.  We have added a new giftcard this month for the chicken program in Africa.  What a wonderful way to celebrate any occasion with the gift of feeding a child for life!

Do you or someone you know own your own business?  Any business donating $1,000 or more to Angel Covers will receive a specially made plaque to hang in your workplace.  This plaque will state how you have helped children around the world with your donation to Angel Covers.  Please consider making a donation on behalf of your business and tell the world you are helping children in dire need through the program of your choosing.

Also new to the website this month is the addition of an Amazon.com link.  Click through this link Angel Covers receives a percentage of all of your purchases.  As a reminder, we have also placed the iGive.com link in the same box on the homepage.  Shop all of your favorite stores through iGive.com and Amazon.com and Angel Covers will also receive a percentage.  So if you shop online, remember a portion of what you would spend anyway can make an extreme difference for children.

It takes so little to make a difference for the children, and yet it is easy to lose focus and think it is impossible due the the vast number of needs.  Like Mother Teresa, we try to remember it is each child we are working for.  Each is a precious drop of water we want to keep in the ocean this world represents.  Each time you see the number 4 we hope you remember Oliver and think about ways you can help.  And each time you see a drop of water, we hope you remember a child somewhere in the world.  Thanks for all that you do!

Kari
co-founder Angel Covers

You are receiving this because you have requested to receive e-mail from us, or because you have made a purchase, donation, or had contact with us via our web site.  If you have received this in error, or no longer wish to receive our e-mail, we apologize and ask that you e-mail us at unsubscribe@angelcovers.org .  We value your privacy as much as your support. Angel Covers will not give your e-mail address to any other parties.