Fundraising is not very many people's dream job. To be honest, it's not mine. But it's worth it. And there are moments that put it all into perspective. Like a moment I had last week:
I was at home, sitting near a window, when I hear little voices coming up our sidewalk. "I don't know if she's home," one girl says. "Let's just check!" says another. They knock on the door, I answer. And there on my front step stand two of the grade-school girls who live on my street. Together, with outstretched arms, they are handing me a dollar bill. "This is for the orphans at Hope Station," they say. So precious. And so generous. Not only was I touched by their generosity, but simply the fact that they wanted to give whatever they had to kids they have never met who are in need on the other side of the world. How cool is that! Those two girls have been a reminder to me this week that I can make a difference right now with whatever I have: time, money, skills... Fundraising itself may not be my dream job, but I'm not fundraising just for the sake of fundraising. I'm fundraising for kids who are worth it. And that... THAT is the dream job.
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I'm sitting at my desk at home, writing my final blog post of the summer. In all honesty, summer feels so far away. The only thing familiar about the weather right now is that it is raining. The rain must have followed me from Chengdu, and I'm not complaining about it. I've decided I want to do a little BEFORE and AFTER action on this final blog post. If you've been reading throughout the summer, you may have caught on to some of the progress and growth that the kids accomplished. It still blows my mind, looking back to my first month compared to my last. Let's check it out: The four babies I grew so very fond of...
There are so many success stories about the older children, I could write a book. Maybe I will someday. But today, I'll just highlight a few of my favorites.
I've shared about 10 year old Charlotte before. Her situation just breaks my heart, since it is so preventable if only there was someone to champion her. Let me refresh your memory. Previous to June, Charlotte spent the majority of every day sitting on a bucket (the toilet) because she has trouble controlling when she goes to the bathroom. Because of this, her otherwise perfectly functioning legs have become weak and stiff due to lack of use. This summer, every day that I went to the orphanage I got her up and walking around at least once. Turns out, she loves to walk, especially on the stairs. Who knew, this entire time Charlotte was wishing that she could get up and walk around for the sheer pleasure of using her legs and seeing the world. In June, I had to use both hands and walk in front of her, leading her as she held both my hands for stability. By the end of the summer, she was walking with me at her side, holding only one hand, more for her peace of mind than her actual stability. What progress! I am so proud of Charlotte and her love for walking. As a bonus, on the last day of the summer she was walking with another guest and walked right over to me and plopped down on my lap and SMILED. That was a first. Good work, Charlotte.
SO WHAT'S NEXT--------------> This is the question everyone has been asking. When will I go back? What will my next trip look like? And when does Hope Station open its doors to foster children? Right now, I continue to work and live in the U.S. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, I am now working full time for Hope Station. This fall I will focus on fundraising. That is all that's left in this big puzzle we have been piecing together in the last four years. Just think... if all of these kid-successes happened after only 2 days a week for 3 months, imagine the impact that could be made in these kids' lives with 24-hour care. When I return to China, we will begin doing just that. Our goal is to have a sustainable annual income of $85,000 by the end of 2014, made possible by supporters like you who commit to a recurring monthly or annual gift. We are $65,000 away from that reality. If you have not made a commitment to give monthly or annually to Hope Station, you can start today. It's super simple, and super rewarding. Just visit the Hope Station website at www.hsorphans.org/donate to start giving right now. In January or February of 2015, I will be heading to China once again, this time with all my belongings in tow. I'll be moving. And that is where I end this post, to leave you wondering what that will all look like... |
A note from Rebekah...If you've ever wondered what it would be like to start a nonprofit from the ground up, to open a home for ORPHANS with special needs in Asia, you've come to the right place. Archives
August 2019
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