Close to home - win some NICE swag!

This giveaway is being held by a friend of mine and benefits the grant fund for Konner, another small boy in Constantine's region. There are some pretty cute prizes, and no donation is necessary for a chance to win. You should check it out! (And don't hesitate to share the link with anyone else who might be interested, 'cause that would be awesome, too.)

Giveaway for Konner

If you'd like a chance to win an iPad or some pretty substantial giftcards, among other prizes, try Lilianna's giveaway. A lot of people love this little girl, and her family really needs the help.

Giveaway for Lilianna

The great thing about both of these giveaways? To enter, all you need to do is donate OR spread the word on your own social media sites.

Giveaway time for Hazel

Here's a really good giveaway - a chance to help an adopting family and win an iPad or some really nice software. Check it out!

Up next time ... I'll explore whether or not I should be containing my efforts to my own backyard - pros and cons.

Progress on the Grants!

Constantine now has $70 in his grant. He's benefitting from astronomical financial support compared to what he had only a few months ago.

And adorable John Mark's grant is approaching the $500 mark.

I'm still working on fundraising ideas. I haven't really come up with anything viable yet. I hate to waste time, yet I don't want to waste said time or effort on a fundraiser that won't be successful, or bother people and burn them out on my concept with something that isn't that effective. So I'm still watching and waiting, collecting ideas for something that will really work. And that I'll really be able to pull off. Suggestions are more than welcome.

Both Constantine and John Mark are still young and have some time before facing imminent institutionalization. But they'll be four years old and facing a life in a room full of other bedridden children if something isn't done soon. My understanding is that many children with CP or paralysis, like Constantine, are restrained so as not to cause too much trouble for the already-overextended orphanage staff.

If neither Constantine nor John Mark speaks to you right now, consider helping the Jenks family. They're adopting two DS babies and have a sizable grant, but they need more money - and lots of it - by the end of March to pay for their facilitator (the person who makes the adoption process come together). They still have a long way to go for their fundraising. These two babies already have bedrooms waiting for them. You can follow their story here.

Waiting on a Ransom

My next entry is already rattling around upstairs, but frankly, I'm too tired to type it out at this moment. For the moment, I'll share news of this important giveaway to support two orphans who have a committed family but really, really need funds by April.

Changing the World ... One Orphan at a Time

I hope you'll click through and check it out.

What I Do Know

On the Reece's Rainbow site, it's really easy to fall in love with a picture and a story. Some of the children are lucky enough to have listings complete with detailed narratives - accounts written by volunteers or parents who visited the orphanage in the process of adopting other children.

Poor Constantine doesn't have a captivating story posted online, at least not that I can find. He only has these few scraps of description: "Gray eyes. The nature of close, calm [a lot of the translated descriptions of temperament from Russia and Eastern Europe appear to read like this]. Constantine is paralyzed on one side of his body; he is a beautiful child!"

It's better than nothing, but not something that would necessarily catch the eyes of most people, especially when there are plenty of orphans on RR with more detail (like John Mark!) I'm afraid the one-sentence summary on his page is going to hurt Constantine's chances of finding a family and attracting donations. In the six months or so that I've been following "Other Angels" on RR, Constantine's grant has had virtually no contributions, not even at Christmas. Aside from a dollar or two (maybe) I have donated all the money that's currently in his grant account.

So I'm trying to find out more about Constantine, by looking for someone who has been to 15H recently or is planning to go. On the RR Facebook forum, one user thought that he might be in the same baby house as her "Guardian Angel" child, but then said that he is not, so I'm back to square one. Apparently there are more than 10 baby houses, orphanages and other institutions in Region 15. I've still got feelers out, and if I find out any more information, I'll post it here in hopes that if anyone does a Google search for Constantine, they might find this page.

Meanwhile, here is some updated information about John Mark, including a new picture!

Andrea's post also featured the picture below, which looks older but that I haven't seen before.

What a cutie!

I'm going to try to come up with some tangible fundraising ideas in the very near future. I need something that's not too labor-intensive or time-consuming, at least until the semester ends. I'm not sure what fits that description ... but if there is something, I'll find it.

John Mark, who has a wonderful story, already has over $300 in his grant fund, so my efforts will concentrate mostly on Constantine. But if you're interested in donating to John Mark, PLEASE don't hesitate to do so! He still has a long way to go before he's fully funded.

Both these boys are still so young ... they could truly flourish if they find families soon.