Program Update

It finally feels like summer, so let's have a program update!

Supporting adopting families is new for us, but something to which we couldn't say no! It's extremely painful to watch families in urgent funding situations. When a child's life is on the line, failure is not an option.

We will be taking t-shirt orders for the next 11 days to benefit two families. If this effort is well received, we will consider a quarterly t-shirt drive to benefit families. Please, help us make this a success!! The more shirts we sell, the larger the cut that our families will receive. We hope to contribute up to $17 per shirt. Order yours HERE. 

Little Dmitry is still waiting for his surgery. His region has been plagued by violence and unrest for months. There is no end in sight. Other options are possible and being pursued, however. The funds raised for his surgery will be held in trust until he is helped, or until we learn that it is no longer possible to help him. 

Our caregivers are doing great! The ministry to the children continues with great success. The ladies are being given more stable working hours and conditions. The children are progressing and love the additional care. It is a privilege to shine the light of Jesus on their needs. This is an ongoing work to save lives and souls.

We raised nearly $500 for our care-giving program with our recent Ukrainian chocolate fundraiser. With a monthly budgeted need of $440 though, we need to find regular monthly sponsors to keep the program afloat. Failure here is not an option. Contact us at ProjectTLC@cox.net if you could commit to a small monthly gift for our care-giving program.

Opportunities for expanding our care-giver program into new facilities have been presented to us. As funding stabilizes, we hope to share these opportunities with you.

Thank you for following and praying for the work of Project TLC. 

Matching Grant for the McDonalds!

Our T's for Orphans fundraiser is off to a great start! The Adoption/Redemption shirts have broad appeal and invite conversations that might never have taken place. Just a few weeks ago, the owner of a Dairy Queen struck up a conversation with me...said his family recently adopted from Uganda. Another customer behind me jumped in and shared his own foster/adopt story. What a blessing!


You can reserve your shirt until June 30 but remember, the Kunkle family travels in just NINE DAYS!! Order form HERE.


In other great news, an anonymous donor has offered a $500 matching grant for the McDonald family! You can read a little bit about the twists and turns in their adoption story http://stepoutoftheboat.blog.com/2014/06/10/starting-over/.


This is a great opportunity to support them if you don't need or want a shirt, or if you would like to make a smaller donation. They need $1500 urgently, so your gifts large and small are deeply appreciated! Use the donation button below to give online. Email us ProjectTLC@cox.net if you wish to make other arrangements. Thank you!

T's for Orphans

In our effort to care for orphans, we have been presented with an opportunity to support families that are preparing to adopt. For the next three weeks, we will be offering our Adoption/Redemption shirt to benefit two families in URGENT need of funding. Oh, and want to win a $50 iTunes gift card? Read ALL the way to the bottom!

The McDonald Family

The McDonald family adopted their son, Toby Jr., from Ukraine in the summer of 2010. Toby and Suzanne originally set out to adopt domestically this time, but God had other plans for them. After many heartbreaking months looking for the child that would thrive in their family, and through an an encounter surely orchestrated by God, they became aware of a little boy with Down Syndrome in Bulgaria. The pieces started to fall into place...quickly! Several thousand dollars of their total remaining need is due very soon. Be a part of the miracle that in in store for this amazing family!!

Total remaining need: $20,000

The Kunkle Family

The Kunkle family is heading to Ukraine very, very soon for their adoption appointment. Originally, Dale and Buffey committed to adopt a pretty little girl with dark hair and eyes. The girl was mysteriously transferred to a different region and adopted by another family soon after. In the midst of their heartbreak, they decided to put their full faith in God to choose a child for them and will be traveling to accept a blind referral. Since they no longer have a face or photos to share, fundraising has been difficult. With only two weeks left to raise the remaining funds, this family URGENTLY needs our prayers and financial gifts!!

Total remaining need: $7,000

NOW, the shirts....

We are offering our Adoption/Redemption shirts in FOUR colors! $25 each includes shipping. You may choose from:

Royal Redemption Blue

Take Me Home Tangerine (adult sizes)

Pick Me! Pink (same graphic as above)

Gotcha Day Gray (also with Adoption/Redemption graphic)

To order, please fill out our online form. If you have any difficulty, please email us at ProjectTLC@cox.net.

Wanna win a $50 iTunes gift card?

Please, we ask you to share about these families and their URGENT need on your blog, on Facebook, on Twitter and wherever else you have a voice.

1. Share this post on FB provide the link to your post in the comment section below.

2. Blog about and link to this fundraiser...provide your blog post link in the comments section below.

For each FB share and blog link confirmed below we will enter your name in the drawing to take place on June 30. Thank you, friends!

Awareness

Today is World Autism Awareness Day

I'm not an expert and I can't back this up with hard statistics, but I suspect at least 25% of the children in Ukrainian mental institutions are there because they have autism. They are there because their parents, doctors, schools and communities were not equipped to care for them or even understand them.

Add to that the number of children with institutional autism. Children in institutional care do not develop properly and many of the damaging effects of this type of care mimic autism. Awareness is desperately needed. It's a start.

I met a really handsome young boy in February. Pretty face, winning smile, but totally unreachable. He is locked away from the world inside an institution...and also locked away in his mind. It is all that his loving caregiver can do to keep him safe and keep him from eating grass. 

There is no therapy for him. No one is trying to reach him.  Seclusion and forced naps are commonly prescribed for children who may get very excited and show the need for sensory input. Awareness and education are needed around the world. 

Caregivers Chocolate Drive

Our recent visit to Ukraine took place during a very turbulent time. Massive protests, threats of violence, opportunities for hooliganism and fear were the topics of many conversations. The political scene was changing fast, too fast to keep up.

In the photo, we prepared to have our vehicle searched at a check point outside of Kyiv. 

Within days of our departure, unidentified, presumably Russian, soldiers took control of the whole of Crimea. Orphans who were previously available for adoption are not available. Some adoptions in process were halted. Their future is uncertain. The future of all the Ukrainian orphans is uncertain...as always.

One thing that is certain is our commitment to the children. They need us more than ever. 

On the heels of our miraculous fundraiser for Dmitry yesterday, we would like to turn our attention back to our caregivers. The patience and love they show to a grouppa of hard-to-handle boys is honestly priceless, but we do need help to continue supporting their work.

Thank goodness I had space in my suitcase to bring back a nice selection of Ukrainian chocolate. And, I have successfully avoided the temptation to gobble it all up. Now, this chocolate will be used to care for the children we love!

Do you want some? Trust me, you do! For a gift of $25 to Project TLC caregivers fund, we will send you the Ukrainian chocolate bar of your choice. First come, first pick! For a gift of $50 or more, you may choose one of three types of boxed chocolates. We will continue until we run out! 

So take a look at what we have to offer...and thank you for loving these wonderful boys.

Milk chocolate truffles, 145g, two available. Yes, Valentine chocolates, but not outdated.

Ukraine souvenir chocolates, total 160g, ONE available! Almost too pretty to eat! 

Corona Venetian Night - chocolates with whole hazelnuts. 210g, ALL GONE!!

Olenka milk chocolate bar, 35% cocoa. Stephanie's favorite! 100g, three left! 

Dreamy white air chocolate! 100g, ONE available. 

Milk chocolate air chocolate. 100g, one available. (The other was damaged on the flight home. Boo!)

Milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts. 100g, one available.

Classic milk chocolate. 100g, one available.

Extra dark chocolate with whole hazelnuts. 100g, one available.

Milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts. 100g, one available.

Dark chocolate air chocolate. 100g, three available.

Milk chocolate with biscuit drops (cookies!). 100g, one available.

White chocolate with biscuit drops (cookies!!). 100g, one available.

White chocolate with chopped hazelnuts and cranberries. 100g, one available.

Interesting! Milk chocolate with roasted sesame seeds. 100g, one available.

Korona brand milk chocolate. 100g. six available.

Korona brand dark chocolate. 100g, four available.

Use the donate button below to send your Chocolate Drive gift. Include your first and second choice and shipping address. Thank you!!

~Stephanie

Wowzers!!

I'm seriously overwhelmed at the moment. It took me hours (had a few distractions!) to write up a blog post about Dmitry and his urgent medical need. In far less time than that, about an hour, our fundraising goal was met! 

In addition to our Lord Jesus, big thank you's go out to the Fritz family, the Mynk's, and Ed Dickson from Loads of Love!!  

More details when they become available...

Dmitry needs our help!

While in Ukraine last month, I received a message with a photo attached:

"Would it be possible to find a family to adopt a child in this condition?"

I was in total shock. How is this child still alive? Three years ago, some very committed and loving people I know tried to help Dmitry receive treatment for hydrocephalus. One family even attempted to adopt him. 

I will never understand why children must suffer so. The doctors in his region refused to operate on him. His biological mother refused to allow him to be adopted. All efforts failed and he was reported to have died. Untreated hydrocephalus is a horrible way to die.

But apparently, he did not die after all! In fact, I was able to find a family who recently visited his facility and interacted with him! They reported that he is full of life and hope, playing peek-a-boo and laughing and squealing with delight.

Yes, I believe we could find a family to adopt such a child, but that takes months and nothing is certain except Dmitry needs medical attention and right away. I set out to find a way to get him the care that he needs. Over the past month, doctors in Kyiv and doctors in his region have cooperated to come up with a plan. Finally, we have a plan and a cost estimate. Yesterday, I received this from the good doctor:

Now he need assessment and evaluation by pediatric neurosurgeon in Kiev clinic.
 The approximate costs of visit to Kiev : 500$
 Train tickets for accompanying person and child: 100$
 Taxi and food: 50$
 Analysis and tests: 150$
 Medicines : 100$
 Assistance : 100$

 Approximate cost of surgery: 2600$
 Equipments( surgical kits): 500$
 Medicines : 400$
 Food: 200$
 Hospital stay (room): free
 Surgeons blessing (fees) : 1200$
 Assistance : 300$
 Total : 3100$

We would like to raise this $3100 in the next week and get this child the care that he deserved to have 3 1/2 years ago. The surgery will be done immediately after the evaluation, if needed, so we do need to raise the entire amount. You may donate by paypal at the link below, or email me for instructions on where to send a check. ProjectTLC@cox.net. We are so grateful for your prayers and concern for sweet Dmitry!

6PM UPDATE - I just removed the "donate" button for Dmitry because his surgery is funded!! Thank you all!! 

--Stephanie