WE DID IT!

I am just too excited for fancy words and cute pictures.  I just had to get on the horn right away and let everyone know:

WE DID IT!

We raised over $4000 to build a house for Jennifer Rose and her family!!

I can't believe this is really happening!  Just a few weeks ago our goal still seemed so far away and September 30th seemed to be right around the corner.  Our sale went great and people have been sending in donations.  We had a very generous donor (who wishes to remain anonymous but is so much appreciated) give a large donation yesterday that put us over the top.  

Our plan all along has been to trust God and take the next step He provided.  We worked hard and we never worried.  He gave us work when we needed it, donations when we needed it, encouragement and motivation when we needed it.  We trusted.  He provided.  

I've just sent word to Gretchen DeVoe, the missionary we are working with, to tell the family the good news. The Volmar family has been homeless for three years.  God has not forgotten them and neither have we.  Start building a house.

The process is still ongoing and there will be more updates to come, so please don't forget to check back.  One of the most exciting things is that, although we have met our goal, we are still in the process of raising money with Thred Up.  We still have bags of clothes to be sent, processed and paid, so we are going to continue to work with them.  This money will be ABOVE AND BEYOND our initial commitment but will be used in one of the following ways: 

   1.  to donate to the Homes for Haiti ministry to defray the cost of building           the house, which now costs more than $4000 to build, even though                 Lifeline has chosen to honor the $4000 quote that we set out with.  

   2.  to give to the family directly (part or whole) in a cash donation.

   3.  to buy things for the family or the house, such as bags of rice and beans        or a table or bed for the house.  

That being said, if you had planned to donate and did not get a chance, please feel free to send it in.  We are still accepting donations.  We can use your money for one of the above stated purposes or possibly another purpose of your choosing.  Want to send someone you love to Haiti to help build the house?  We can use donations in that way as well, if you so choose.  

If you still  have a bag to send to Thred Up or a cashout balance to send over, don't forget.  Here is the link to Thred Up:

Thred Up Group Link

And if this story inspires you and you want to stay involved with Lifeline Christian Mission and/or the Homes for Haiti ministry, visit their website for more information.  Prayer and financial support are always needed.  You can look into supporting the ministry, taking a mission trip with your family or group of friends, select a child to sponsor or build a house for family in need.  The love need not stop here, people!  

Lifeline Christian Mission

Thank you thank you thank you!  Can you tell I'm excited?!?!  OK, this might be the most rambling and disordered post ever, but I am just too excited to labor over this one.  I just had to share the good news.  

Thanks and love to all!

   

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

The Good:  The yard sale was a success!  We raised over $300 dollars to put toward our goal and had so much fun doing it.  We now have over $2500 toward our goal!  This really put some wind in our sails and inspired us to keep on keepin on.  

Dubious Man Job

Jamie, Melissa and I had a wonderful day at the sale and even got a little sun for our efforts.  Lance was in and out, helping with 'man jobs' at the sale and putting in some serious elbow grease next door, helping the next door neighbors with recovery from a house fire.  The five little boys we have between us played wonderfully all day and our awesome babysitter Caty made it all look easy.  The three amigos (Greyson 2, Joachim 2, and Lucas, almost 2) were thick as thieves all day and didn't cause nearly as much trouble as they could have.  :)

The Three Amigos

Our day went so well much due to the preparation efforts of many.  Thank you to all who donated items for the sale and sent in monetary donations.  And thank you to Stephani and Brianna who came on Friday to help sort, tag and organize before the sale.  

So, good sale.  Good day.  Good memories.

The Bad:  We received notice from Lifeline Christian Mission that their Homes for Haiti program is increasing their prices for homes:

Price change for "Homes for Haiti"

Lifeline's "Homes for Haiti" Ministry allows you the opportunity to purchase a home for your sponsored child and/or a needy Haitian family. Your gift provides a family with a durable, lasting home that will provide safety and security for many years to come.  Effective October 1, 2013, all homes will now cost $4475, when paying by check.  All homes paid in full by September 30 will still be $4000, when paid by check. For more information about the homes ministry and how you can impact a family, visit www.Lifeline.org/HomesForHaiti.

This is still a tiny fraction of what it would cost to build a home here in the United States, of course.  And these homes built by the Homes for Haiti ministry are the nicest in the village - all of them remained intact and liveable during the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed so many and left so many more, like Jennifer Rose and her family, homeless.  I certainly do not have any misgivings about the price or the increase, but boy would it be great to pull this off over the next few weeks and save $475 dollars!  This also has served to motivate us and get our minds churning as to how to make this happen.  Ideas anyone?  Large donations will not be turned away:)

The Beautiful:  Of the many neighbors we enjoyed talking with throughout the day, we were most moved by Richard.  He lives next door and his family just experienced a house fire.  Thankfully no one was injured, but they are just starting to put their home back together and make it liveable.  We gave him some furniture from our sale that the family needed and insisted it was a gift when he offered to pay.  He said he knew about our project and wanted to be a part of it.  He made a $50 donation to AHFJR for the furniture we tried to gift him.  I was moved to tears.  Here is a family of limited means facing an expensive crisis inside their own home and they give.  When people give out of their abundance it makes a difference.  When people give, in the middle of their need, it touches the heart.  Talk about blown away.  

If that doesn't pull the heartstrings then this will.  My friend's sweet son, Judah, has seen his mommy doing these yard sales and heard her talking about building a house for Jennifer Rose.  He asked his mother about it. She explained, in age appropriate language of course, that there was a little girl that didn't have a house and she didn't have the money to get one.  So we wanted to help her get a house.  He immediately offered all of the money from his piggy bank for the project.  He is four.  

So, that's the latest folks.  The good, the bad and the beautiful.  Upcoming projects may include but are not limited to: selling handmade bracelets from Haitian craftsmen and women as a fundraiser, having a "Buy a Brick' fundraising party, continuing to work with Thred Up to get a match on funds raised with them so far (see our page for details http://thred.me/XdUPHC  ) and of course a pressing and grateful reminder that donations are welcome and timely participation appreciated as our September 30th goal date approaches.  You will be hearing from me soon and I thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, for supporting and for encouraging.  This is a wild ride and an amazing experience that I am blessed to be a part of.  

the sale

fun

more fun

Over $1000 raised!

Here's the latest: we have raised over $1000 toward our $4000 goal to build a home for Jennifer Rose and her family!  Its so exciting when the wheels get turning.  People are getting on board, pooling resources, donating time and coming up with new ideas every day.

Jamie L hosted a second yard sale at her East Nashville home last weekend, raising the prayed for $300 to the dollar, putting us over the one quarter mark.  With more than a little help from Aunt Jessie feeding and entertaining kids, she had the place organized, displayed beautifully and ready to sell.  We worked steadily all day and took the last dollar as we were

the crew.
What are we doing?

closing the last box.  She's a yard sale champ, that's for sure.  I love a friend who can appreciate the joy of enjoying beautiful weather, chatting with neighbors and thinking nothing of spending an entire Saturday raising money for a family she had never met.  She's a keeper, folks.

So, what's next?  Well, the ideas are flowing and the excitement is building.  I don't want to give away all our best fundraising plans, but think hot moms in bikinis and a clean car.  OK, seriously.  They might be tankinis, but we are cute and its a good cause and it would be fun.

Don't forget about Thred Up, which will match us up to $1000 if we get our clothes/funds in before others do.  So time is of the essence and it could mean an additional thousand bucks toward our goal.  Clean out your closets, ladies, and then clean out your kids closet.  Or call me and tell me you have box of mystery clothes in your attic.  I'll take it off your hands, gratefully, no questions asked.  If you already sent a bag in or currently have nothing to clean out, share our link with a friend.  Spread the word and spread the love.

check us out at Thred Up

And then there's that little 'donate now' button just to your right as you are reading these words.  If you are just so pumped that you cannot wait until our next fundraising event, I will not stop you from clicking and supporting our project.  Any amount is very much appreciated.  Can you believe it only takes $4000 to build the nicest house in the entire village in Grand Goave, Haiti?  Don't you want to be part of that?

Thanks for reading and for patiently waiting on the edge of your seats (I'm just certain you are) as I learn reluctantly and awkwardly how to blog.  Love to you all and stay tuned.  

Clean out and Cash in. For a cause.

I've got my first bag filled and ready to drop at the post office. Couldn't have been easier.

Thred Up takes gently used name brand kids and women's clothing and resells them. You get paid. Or, if you follow my link, we raise money together to build a home for a family in Haiti.

ThredUp - Follow this link.

Order a bag (free) and fill it with the clothes that you and the kids are no longer wearing. Drop it off at the post office or at UPS for free shipping. Thred Up pays for each item they can sell.

How it works.

Right now Thred Up is matching dollar for dollar the money we raise, if we meet our $500 goal before the deadline. The race is on and the cash is good. Fill your bags, people!


Be sure to read the details at the Thred up website. They are choosy about what they accept and they don't return items they can't sell.

See what they accept and what they don't.

By the way, Thred Up is paying extra for certain hot items right now, including rain gear, swim suits, jeans and jean shorts, gap brand and girls dresses. Check the website for details.

Thanks for reading. A few minutes to clean out your kids closet (and you have to do that anyway) can help raise money to build a home for a family in need. It's a win win. Lets get started!

My bag sitting by the back door ready to go.