The Gift of Giving...

With less than 4 weeks until Christmas morning, Children everywhere around the world have been busy making their list for Santa. This is the perfect time to give children the GIFT of GIVING... while teaching them the difference between NEED and WANT.

Once the their list is complete, take a few moments to go through it together. Ask them about each item on their list and why they asked for it. Pajamas to replace the ones they have outgrown - is a NEED; while the latest barbie doll or action figure is a WANT. It's important they understand that NEEDS are usually meant - while WANTS may not always be.

As they start to see the difference between NEED and WANT,  you can start explaining how some children in the world have a very hard time receiving what they NEED - like, food, shelter,  clothing, shoes, schooling etc. Since Christmas is a time for giving, ask them, What would they be willing to give up on their Christmas list that is a WANT ~ so that another child may get one of the NEEDs they do not have- like shoes, clothing.

Hope Unlimited is an organization that provides hope and meets the basic needs of the poorest children in Brazil, the street children.  Providing a safe place for these children to live, learn, feel safe and where they can thrive and grow into productive members of society. 

The Unwrap Hope gift guide is a wonderful tool to use in showing your child the NEEDS of these children. Let your child pick a NEED in the value of the WANT they have decided to give up.

To see the Gifts that are NEEDS for the physical, emotional and spiritual Survival 

of these Children ~ CLICK HERE. 

The final page of the Gift guide is the order form you can print out, complete and mail to Hope Unlimited or you can choose to do it on line by clicking the Give on Line link on the top right corner of that page. This will take you to the Donate page for Hope Unlimited ~ fill out the form...

NOTE: if doing on line 

at Program - select Where the need is Greatest

at Donation  - enter the total $ value of the Gifts from the gift guide you are donating

at Comment box - type in the gift(s) and quantity of each that makes up the total $ value of your donation.

The GIFT of GIVING is also the perfect gift for the person(s) 

on your list that have everything!

Join High Heeled Life and these other wonderful BlogLand friends 

Vicki - Joyful Expressions

Heather and Vanessa - At the Picket Fence

Laura - Decor to Adore

In making a difference and giving the poorest children of Brazil a thriving chance.

Thank You SUSAN - My Place to Yours , sharing with us the needs of Hope Unlimited 

and giving us the opportunity to GIVE BACK!

What does your family do to give back to others?

A story of Hope...the gift of helping Children

This little bundle came into the world an innocent Angel, full of smiles, curiosity and an unlimited abundance of unconditional love and trust. All this little Angel required was love , nurturing and guidance to grow. 

Unfortunately, this little Angel received nothing and was denied life's basic necessities. Much like yesterdays garbage,"it" was discarded on the curbside. To be picked up or to find "its" way in the world, without being provided with proper tools. 

Despite this cruelty, the little Angel remained trusting and full of unconditional love

 ~ falling easy prey to all the evils of the world.

Then .. a helping hand reached out ... offering protection from the cruel storm. 

 And for the first time in this little Angel's life the helping hand 

asked for  NOTHING in RETURN!

Nor did it TAKE as it pleased! 

Instead it offered many more helping hands, just like it.

 It may have been a long, hard journey of survival for this little Angel, but for the first time there is HOPE, for a future that seemed non-existent, his/Her Future!!!

A story of HOPE...

Hope Unlimited provides the helping hand to some of the world’s most desperate children—the street kids of Brazil. 

In the rescue phase, children are referred to Hope by the Brazilian courts, who have determined that these children are at mortal risk. Hope staff provide immediate emotional support, psychological and medical care, and spiritual healing.

 In the transformation phase (four to eight years), the child is guided through educational programs, and vocational coursework, within the context of family life.

In the re-entry phase, Hope’s young men and women intern with local businesses for a year and live at a transition home for six months. Upon graduation (around the age of 18) each Hope student is guaranteed a job and is given ongoing support through the Graduate Center. Each graduate receives basic household furnishings and a complete set of tools for the trade he or she has learned.

Our family recently became a  THRIVE TEAM member. A program created by Hope Unlimited in response to the numerous inquires, if they had a child sponsorship program, to which they had to respond No until now. Brazilian privacy laws expressly prohibit the organization from linking a sponsor to an individual child.

Why did I choose to support Thrive Team? 

Though I am not linked to a specific child, as a Thrive Team member my monthly contribution gives a child everything he or she needs to thrive. My support helps provide the tools these Angels need to thrive: home, food, a sense of belonging, stability, the opportunity to be children, education, friends, role models and spirituality.

Each month I will receive an email featuring the story of a different child who is benefiting and thriving from Thrive Team contributions.

Because, 100% of my commitment will go to change the world of a child in desperate need. 

To learn more about Hope Unlimited or how  you can become a Thrive Team member, click any of the links within this post or the links below.

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE

I came to learn about Hope Unlimited by clicking the link to Hope Unlimited, last year, on my dear blog friend Susan's blog ~ My Place to Yours . Clicking that link and learning about Hope unlimited, has given me an opportunity to give back. Thank you Susan. 

Susan has seen first hand the difference Hope Unlimited is making in the lives of these children. She has heard directly from these children how it has saved and changed the direction of their lives.

Many Blessings to all who make a difference in the life of a child, near or far. Next to being given our own life, the gift of helping a child (maternal or not) grow is truly a precious gift above.

The Power of a Box ...

It is truly amazing the affect, receiving a box ~ be it orange, black, brown or this blue one, can have on our day. Especially if we have been ill, or experiencing some horrific challenge in our lives. BUT there is something that is better than receiving a box....

WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE?

you are asking.... let me give you a little introduction....

In my attempt to catch up with blog visits and reading of posts I missed while on vacation; I stopped in for a visit to my dear friend Mary's blog Hope-Filled Living Magazine . My visits there are always filled with admiration, inspiration and a desire to live a truer existence, Mary is possibly one of the kindest people I've been blessed to meet in BlogLand. As, I caught up with reading posts I missed this one titled Creating a Box of Sunshine really hit close to home, reminders of all the small gestures that family, friends and complete strangers had so kindly bestowed during the earlier days of my accident recovery came flooding back. Not the items themselves, but the feeling of warmth that someone cared, that they took a moment out of their day to bring me a little "sunshine" to my day, encouraged me to not give-up; to keep going.

GIVING a box that can bring a smile 

to someone's day, is truly better!!

To learn more about how you can help fill a shoe box that will have a positive impact on someone's day, please take a moment to visit Mary's blog and learn more about the program she is running that will make a difference in the lives of 60 people, who are facing life challenges. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

Mary my heels off to you, for all you do unconditionally and full of love for others...xo

Joining some fun hops...