Little Bits Made Big

With November 1st quickly approaching (1 day, 3 hours, and 38 minutes till Angel Tree Launch!!) and the excitement of Angel Tree arising I'm wrapping up my major fundraising for Pleven.  I want to be able to focus my efforts on my baby boy Charlie, as I committed to him first!  I am still doing small projects on the side for Pleven, to keep the need fresh in peoples minds, but I will be mainly focusing on Charlie Roo.  I recently asked my Facebook friends if they would be willing to collect change for Pleven with me, and many of them jumped right in and have began collecting their spare change for Pleven!

Kara H. and her beautiful family have this sweet jar collecting their spare change! :) 

I have a jar sitting on my desk that is about 1/4 of the way full with spare change, and my family has joined in on the fun too!  I have to say that I am thankful for willing, and generous hearts who want to help in the small ways.  I actually came across a Facebook post that fits these small actions perfectly.

"If you keep your "little", it will remain little.  But if you step into the exchange zone ready to offer what little you have to be used by God in moving the baton forward, your little will be multiplied as you run." 
-Christine Caine 

I can't even begin to express how true that is!  We often think that what we have to offer isn't enough, or is "too small", but God reminds us that no matter how big or small He can take it and make it into something miraculous!  So yes, even collecting a jar of loose change is benefiting the lives in Pleven and is getting us closer to our goal of $100,000! YOU are making a difference, and I think that is AMAZING!  If you would like to join us, grab a jar, can, container, box, anything really, and collect your loose change until it's full!

Another wonderful praise that I want to share with you is, the outcome of the t-shirt fundraiser! (Which is still up and running until November 1st, so be sure to grab your tee here: http://teespring.com/Pleven)  I jumped on TeeSpring today to check on the fundraiser, and see the total amount raised at this point, and was pleasantly surprised to see that *we* have raised $102 for Pleven!!  Yes, 12 T-shirts sold, and $102 raised!  I am so grateful for every single person who has bought a T-shirt, for every single person who has shared this fundraiser, for every single person who has prayed over Pleven, this fundraiser, and the hands that would help us reach this goal! I AM GRATEFUL.

I subtracted the $102 from the $100,000 and the new total that came about is $99,898!  WE are making progress, it may be tiny progress but we're closer than when we started!  Seeing that total drop brings me JOY, so much joy!  Please, know that I am thanking God for each of you!  I could not do this on my own!

If you are wanting to help raise this $99,898 but aren't sure how, please! Email me! or Facebook message me!  I would be so happy to hear from you, and share with you the different ways that YOU can benefit the lives in Pleven!

My email is linked on the right hand side bar of the blog, but I'll list it here too.
AlyssaGoodhue@hotmail.com

Again, I am thankful for every.single.one.of.you.  Whether you've been following my blog for years, or whether this is your first time reading.  You are the reason that I could ever even imagine raising $100,000.  You are all blessings!

The Pleven Project

So, I've given myself the task of raising as much money as I can for The Pleven Project. For those of you that don't know Pleven is an orphanage in Bulgaria that houses 92 children. The living conditions are outrageous, and many of the children are extremely malnourished. Keith U. came out of Pleven at 5 years old weighing 10 pounds. He spent most of his time in an isolation room for no valid reason, he was also tied to his crib which left marks on his wrists. Keith is just one of the many children that have been forever damaged by that wretched place.

Recently a group of wonderful ladies devised a plan and jumped into action to better the lives in the Pleven Orphanage. They have provided funds to hire Leyla's (Grandmothers, or Nanies) that are each assigned a child, and get to spend one-on-one time with the kids. Which is absolutely wonderful, and they have already seen and heard that the kids have benefited from this tremendously! The next project that the Pleven Project team is wanting to fund is a Day Home this will benefit Pleven Orphanage, and Pleven's Community. This day home will serve as a Day Care for families who would like to continue to care for, and parent their children with special needs, and it will serve as a benefit to Pleven allowing the kids to have access to more Therapies such as Music, Art, Physical, ect.

The Pleven Project team really wants to empower families, and equip them to care for their children with special needs in their own homes, so that they don't have to give their children up. This will be so beneficial in many ways, to multiple families, and children. There's a little bump in building this Day Home, and that is that it is going to cost $100,000 to buy the materials, and build it. As I said above, this Day Home will be extremely beneficial, and is really needed at Pleven. 

Alone, we can't raise that $100,000 and that is just a fact, but with the help of generous hearts we can raise that $100,000. This money could be raised in a week if Pleven's need went viral, and hearts were moved, or it could take months or even a year, but that all depends on whether you are willing to share the need, and possibly donate too. So, if you are even just willing to share the need, and pray God's blessing over it, that would be amazing in it's self. But if you can donate $5, $10, $30, to this project, and help better the lives of families in Pleven, Bulgaria that would be a blessing too. 

Like I said, this all depends on generous hearts, who are willing to help in any way. If you decide to donate, in the notes section please specify that you would like your donation to go to the Day Home so that the team knows to set it aside. I'm extremely grateful for every single person who will pray over this project, and the children in Pleven, for those who will share in hopes to gain more awareness, and those who choose to donate and make this possible.  I will have a Youcaring set up soon so that we can track our progress, and others can donate if they feel inclined (Thank you Shelley!!), and right now I have set up a T-shirt fundraiser that will benefit The Pleven Project.  For $21 you can purchase a t-shirt that states "I will not let their story end like this." with an outline of Bulgaria in the background: http://teespring.com/Pleven

This is a small way that you can help change the fate of these children, and it will help reduce the amount needed to build that day home.  This is intimidating I'm not gonna lie, especially with it being Angel Tree season and needing $1000 for Charlie, I'm taking on a lot. This money could be raised in a week or a month, or it could take 6 months or a year, it all depends on the number of hearts that are moved into action,  but God sees the desires of my heart, and I know He will provide the $100,000 in one way or another...God's got my back, and my faith is in Him.


Will you consider buying a shirt in honor of the 92 orphans in Pleven?

The Love That's Shared

I may or may not be crying as I'm typing, but I honestly can't help it.  so.much.love. has been shown to my kiddos these past few days!  Both of their funds have grown by generous amounts, and that bring such joy to my heart.  I love, love, love, these two so much and when I see others sharing their pictures, profiles, and donating it's a happy sight.  I know these two are so close to having families, I can just feel it and I'm so ready to help FIGHT to get both of them HOME.

Roo, Sunshine Girl?

  You two have completely stolen my heart, I'm head-over-heels captivated by both of you.  You deserve so much, and I promise to get both of you everything you deserve, I'll give up anything to see you in the arms of a family, being loved, cherished, and chosen.

Dear Sunshine Girl

Hey there Sunshine Girl,

  I can't get you off my mind, and you surely have made an imprint on my heart.  You're situation is so urgent, and all I can wonder is what you condition is like today, this very moment.  The photos I have of you are from 2012, two and a half years ago.  I'm sure so much has changed, and you're health could have changed drastically, what if your Hydrocephalus isn't being treated?  What if you were given a shunt, and it failed? Or got infected?  What if you're sick, and in the hospital again?  Alone, without a mama to cuddle you, and be there when you're scared.  Oh sunshine girl, my mama heart breaks for you, over, and over again.

I promise Sunshine, I promise I'm doing all I can to find your mama and papa, I promise you'll go home soon.  Tomorrow I'm printing your pictures, and they will hang above my desk right next to Charlie's picture.  You two have my heart, every last piece of it and I wont stop fighting until both of you are HOME, with a mama, and a papa, and a bed to call your very own.  Please, Sunshine Girl, don't stop fighting, hold on a little longer just for me so I can find your mama and tell her to come get you!  You can do it, I know you can!


Oh Sunshine Girl,
  how I love you so...

Aria's Angels

I may or may not be insane, but I can't not advocate for this little girl.   From the moment she was listed (literally the moment) till the late night when I found her in a database, I've been smitten.  Meet Aria, my sweet girl!  Miss Aria is 6 years old, and was born with Spina bifida, Hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, deep mental delay, congenital deformity of the hip, congenital ptosis, optic nerve atrophy, iron and protein deficiency. Her Reece's Rainbow profile also states that she has spent a lot of time in the hospital, which just broke my heart into millions of tiny pieces.  Yes, that is quite the list but I promise you her sweet face (that I cried over for a good 30 minutes) will steal your heart away.

When I found her database photos from early 2012 my heart sank to my stomach, *how* could this be sweet Aria?  How could this gorgeous girl be living like this?  I just couldn't quite wrap my mind around it.  I messaged my best friend Kaitlyn with Aria's pictures, and just told Kaitlyn, over, and over, and over, "She needs to be seen, she needs out!  Oh Kaitlyn, I need help, we need to find her family!"  So, I began brainstorming trying to figure out what I could do to potentially find her family, and help raise her grant fund.  After many failed ideas I came up with Aria's Angels.  Aria's Angels is a project I've created to raise awareness for Aria, and raise her grant fund.  The first 5 people to donate $10 to Aria's grant (Found here: http://reecesrainbow.org/82060/aria), and forward/email their receipt to me (AlyssaGoodhue@hotmail.com)  will become a part of Aria's Angels, and I will mail you a necklace like the one below, for you to wear in honor of Aria.  Once a month you will have a chance to join Aria's Angels, and help find her family! (I chose once a month because necklace making supplies are pricey, and I'm also focusing on my Angel Tree boy Charlie.)

I need all the warriors I can get, because by myself I wont be able to save Aria, it takes a village. So, who wants to be the first to play a part in Aria's Angels? :)