Boosting the Signal
Those of us who have a roof over our heads and all that may be feeling the pinch this winter, but its NOTHING compared to the children in this orphanage in Russia. anything, anything at all that you can spare, even a dollar, will go directly to feed these kids. its not going through a big charity with overhead, its going from you.... to Donna (yes, of Emerald Rose and Starbridge) and from her directly to this orphanage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear friends and family, This is a personal letter to you from Donna
Sullivan.
I wish to invite you to take part in something that I have been doing for
the past ten years.
As you know, ten years ago, on October 2, Darien Liam Sullivan became a
part of our family. Logan and I enlarged our circle of experience by flying
around the world to Moscow, Russia and then on to Astrakhan, which borders
the Volga River, to adopt him. The town impressed us with colorful
clothing, fruit and vegetable stalls by the roadside, and the friendliness
of it's people.
Darien lived in an orphanage, called a Desky Dom, (Children's Home) in
Astrakhan for the first 2 years and 3 months of his life. On our visit we
spent 4 hours in this institution. The place was filled with children ages 4
and under. They travel in pods of twelve, eating, sleeping, bathing and
using the potty chair together. They are little families, watched over by
one woman, all day long. Each child receives 12 cents per day for all of
her/his needs: food, medicine, clothing etc.. The place is clean and has
the air of a poorly funded day care center. The children in Darien's pod all
sat listlessly at long tables with their eyes dull from the lack of good
nutrition.
We were there for the big meal of the day. The children were given a small
amount of very thin kasha (porridge), ½ a piece of bread and so little milk
in the bottom of a large tin cup that they only swallowed when the bottom of
the cup was pointed up to the ceiling.
Logan and I gave the orphanage director $700 in US cash that we had raised
for the children. That amount of money is worth more than 10 times that
much in Russia ($7,000!) We watched as they bought vans full of food. This
food included leeks, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips and other hearty foods.
The female director of the Desky Dom cried when we gave her the money and said that it would feed the children for the entire Russian winter.
I gave the Creator a personal promise that day. I would happily raise that
amount of money each year between September 13th and Winter Solstice and send it directly to that orphanage director.
When the director counted out the money she asked in Russian, eyes wide, "Is this from some rich American?". We answered, " No, this is from many
Americans who don't mind sharing so that children may eat."
I am asking each of you to send me $10 toward this goal. $10 American is
more than $100 Russian. I know that I have always wanted to make a large
donation and know that it is reaching the people I want it to reach. ALL OF
YOUR DONATION WILL GET TO THIS ORPHANAGE.
And as we sit, relaxing in our comforts this winter, having our eggnog, beer
and cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream, we can feel that we DID do our little bit to keep children from going to bed hungry.
Please send your bit as soon as you are able. Feel encouraged to pass this
request on to your friends and groups so that they may have a chance to
share in this effort as well.
Some side notes about this money.
That first year the money we raised fed the little girl that my sister and
brother in law adopted the very next year! Yes, this is a small world.
As these donations are private, the Russian government continues to fund
that orphanage at it's normal rate. Therefore, this money is "extra".
I thank all of you who have donated in the past and who have donated already
this year.
May you and yours continue to be blessed with love and abundance this holiday season!
Thank you!
Donna Sullivan
396 Starbridge Rd.
Murrayville, Ga. 30564
Paypal:donna@emeraldrose.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear friends and family, This is a personal letter to you from Donna
Sullivan.
I wish to invite you to take part in something that I have been doing for
the past ten years.
As you know, ten years ago, on October 2, Darien Liam Sullivan became a
part of our family. Logan and I enlarged our circle of experience by flying
around the world to Moscow, Russia and then on to Astrakhan, which borders
the Volga River, to adopt him. The town impressed us with colorful
clothing, fruit and vegetable stalls by the roadside, and the friendliness
of it's people.
Darien lived in an orphanage, called a Desky Dom, (Children's Home) in
Astrakhan for the first 2 years and 3 months of his life. On our visit we
spent 4 hours in this institution. The place was filled with children ages 4
and under. They travel in pods of twelve, eating, sleeping, bathing and
using the potty chair together. They are little families, watched over by
one woman, all day long. Each child receives 12 cents per day for all of
her/his needs: food, medicine, clothing etc.. The place is clean and has
the air of a poorly funded day care center. The children in Darien's pod all
sat listlessly at long tables with their eyes dull from the lack of good
nutrition.
We were there for the big meal of the day. The children were given a small
amount of very thin kasha (porridge), ½ a piece of bread and so little milk
in the bottom of a large tin cup that they only swallowed when the bottom of
the cup was pointed up to the ceiling.
Logan and I gave the orphanage director $700 in US cash that we had raised
for the children. That amount of money is worth more than 10 times that
much in Russia ($7,000!) We watched as they bought vans full of food. This
food included leeks, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips and other hearty foods.
The female director of the Desky Dom cried when we gave her the money and said that it would feed the children for the entire Russian winter.
I gave the Creator a personal promise that day. I would happily raise that
amount of money each year between September 13th and Winter Solstice and send it directly to that orphanage director.
When the director counted out the money she asked in Russian, eyes wide, "Is this from some rich American?". We answered, " No, this is from many
Americans who don't mind sharing so that children may eat."
I am asking each of you to send me $10 toward this goal. $10 American is
more than $100 Russian. I know that I have always wanted to make a large
donation and know that it is reaching the people I want it to reach. ALL OF
YOUR DONATION WILL GET TO THIS ORPHANAGE.
And as we sit, relaxing in our comforts this winter, having our eggnog, beer
and cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream, we can feel that we DID do our little bit to keep children from going to bed hungry.
Please send your bit as soon as you are able. Feel encouraged to pass this
request on to your friends and groups so that they may have a chance to
share in this effort as well.
Some side notes about this money.
That first year the money we raised fed the little girl that my sister and
brother in law adopted the very next year! Yes, this is a small world.
As these donations are private, the Russian government continues to fund
that orphanage at it's normal rate. Therefore, this money is "extra".
I thank all of you who have donated in the past and who have donated already
this year.
May you and yours continue to be blessed with love and abundance this holiday season!
Thank you!
Donna Sullivan
396 Starbridge Rd.
Murrayville, Ga. 30564
Paypal:donna@emeraldrose.com