Thursday, August 14, 2008
NEW BLOG ADDRESS FOR LWB
Don't miss any news about the kids you help support. Our new blog is located at http://www.lwbcommunity.org You will need to RE-REGISTER if you wish to have LWB news arrive directly into your inbox each day. Simply enter your email address into the right hand box and then confirm your subscription. It is that easy! Then every day any updates on our programs and children will simply arrive via email.
A Sweet Little Boy Who Needs a Home
Once, in a not so distant land, lived a young prince. Even though he lived surrounded by friends, the prince did not smile very much. However there were two things that he was waiting for that could make him smile. He waited for a chance to learn in school, and he waited for a family that would be his forever.
One day, visitors arrived. They were taking photos of all of his friends with such excitement that the prince was immediately shy. In fact, he was so shy that whenever one of the visitors looked his way, he would pretend to be ASLEEP. He didn’t want to be disappointed if the visitors weren’t there to help bring him those two big wishes.
But the visitors from Love Without Boundaries did notice the prince. They would sneak peeks at the prince to catch him carefully looking out of the corner of his eyes watching them, wondering why they were there. They were so delighted at the prince’s cleverness and air of strength that they named him “Rocky.”
Rocky soon received his first wish. The visitors opened a Believe In Me school in Rocky’s land and enrolled him. Rocky enjoyed school. His teachers even gave him a walker so that he could walk around like his friends. True to Rocky’s personality, the walker was different. He much preferred to scoot around in his favorite toy car! Rocky’s teachers quickly taught him that the walker was for the classroom and the car was for the playground. In school, Rocky blossomed into a social, smiling boy.
The visitors came back again and again to see how Rocky and his friends were doing in school. By then, Rocky was showing how much he loved art projects in school but saved his smiles for those who knew him best. Finally, one of the visitors that had been following Rocky’s progress for over a year picked him up for a hug and Rocky squealed with delight, tickling and playing with the visitor who was now an honorary ai yi.
Now, dear reader, the rest of this story waits to be written. Rocky received his first wish and has been going to school. He has blossomed into a sweet, funny, smiling little boy. In fact, he has blossomed SO much that his orphanage has submitted his paperwork and placed him on the shared waiting list in hopes that Rocky’s family will see him and bring him home. Please help Love Without Boundaries tell Rocky’s story far and wide so that this very special young boy can receive his second wish and give this tale a happy ending.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Becca's Bag
With the fall fashion season right around the corner, we can't help but notice that Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Coach have a firm hold on the designer luggage market. However, there is a new carry-on bag on the scene that has been getting a lot of attention. With only 50 of these bags in production, "exclusive" is the word that best describes these bags. Designed to hold all the essentials that a baby on the go could use, we think these will soon be THE bag to have for fall: The LWB TRAVEL BAG.
Who is this that I see as a lucky, proud owner of the LWB bag? Why it is little Becca, the newest child to enter LWB foster care, sassily waving to the crowds while sporting her new bag casually on her shoulder.
Cruising the aisles in her four-wheeled steel taxi looking for treats, the LWB bag also looks stylish strategically placed at the bottom of the cart for all to see--logo side up of course.
And if all that shopping wears you out going from store to store, feel free to let your fans (foster grandma) carry your bag for you.
Who is this that I see as a lucky, proud owner of the LWB bag? Why it is little Becca, the newest child to enter LWB foster care, sassily waving to the crowds while sporting her new bag casually on her shoulder.
Cruising the aisles in her four-wheeled steel taxi looking for treats, the LWB bag also looks stylish strategically placed at the bottom of the cart for all to see--logo side up of course.
And if all that shopping wears you out going from store to store, feel free to let your fans (foster grandma) carry your bag for you.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Advice from a Three-year-old
What do you do when you are 18 months old and are very worried about having a heart surgery? You talk to someone who has just been there!Little Gracie is a very bright, 18-month-old little girl from Guangxi. She understands everything that you say to her, even the fact that she is about to undergo heart surgery. When her orphanage asked her if she wanted to go to Hangzhou for heart surgery, she didn’t want to go. Do you blame her?
The orphanage brought older and wiser, three-year-old Ying to talk to Gracie about her surgery. We helped Ying with his heart surgery in January, and it was a complete success. Ying told Gracie that he didn’t feel pain when he had his surgery and that it was just fine. Thanks to Ying, Gracie agreed to come.
Can you imagine this conversation? How funny!! The good news is that Gracie is now in Hangzhou and will soon get her chance to be healed. Thanks to her sponsors . . . and to Ying, her heart will soon be repaired! Maybe Gracie will try to call Ying on her cell phone after her recovery.
Olympic Bound!
LWB would like to send a HUGE thank you to Shenzhen Airlines for their support of orphaned children in China. This airline has chosen 100 children from orphanages around China to attend the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. We were so excited to learn that five of the kids in our education program in Henan province were chosen for this wonderful opportunity. One of the boys had decided to keep a diary this summer to keep track of what he did. Little did he know when he made that decision that he would have this great adventure to record!
We know all of them are going to have an absolutely amazing time.
We know all of them are going to have an absolutely amazing time.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Happy Birthday, Qing!
If you read our July newsletter, you may remember a tiny little heart baby named Qing who would be celebrating his first birthday in August. He had been through a lot; having heart surgery for a VSD and also fighting pneumonia, he just wasn't getting stronger or gaining any weight. We sent Qing some Wyeth Gold formula to help him recover, even before he left the hospital. At the end of the article, I mentioned that I was looking forward to seeing a few extra chins and fat rolls. Well . . . "ask and you shall receive!" We just received a new photo, and I cannot believe the difference after just two months of formula and one month in foster care!
Our little man has about a week's worth of formula left; so we called our formula supplier and found that they had an outlet right there in Qing's hometown. They graciously decided to give us a better price on the formula and deliver it to the orphanage in person! Happy birthday, Qing, and we look forward to seeing even more fat rolls!Jan Champoux
Nutrition Director
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Summer School Update
Remember JD, our summer school student? The look on his face in his last photos were less than enthusiastic. However, JD has begun summer studies and by all accounts is doing great. We can see by these photos that he’s studying reading, writing, and arithmetic and possibly even enjoying it. 
Keep up the hard work, JD! Friends from around the world are cheering you on with good thoughts and well wishes.
Linda Mitchell
LWB Education
Keep up the hard work, JD! Friends from around the world are cheering you on with good thoughts and well wishes.Linda Mitchell
LWB Education
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
LWB Sponsors CCAA Training on Cerebral Palsy
Recently the CCAA organized a training session for orphanage staff to learn techniques for working with children with cerebral palsy (CP). This training was sponsored by LWB and held at XinQiao Hospital in Chongqing from July 13th to the 26th.
Thirty orphanage staff members participated in the training from orphanages throughout China and each one brought a child with CP from their orphanage. The staff received information on child development for the first three days. After that their sessions included more on development theory and a half day of hands-on training.
The staff was very excited to learn from the best pediatricians and nurses in China in the field of CP. Everyone agreed that this type of training will be very useful in caring for their children with CP and improving the quality of their lives. This training was such a huge success that the CCAA will be offering another one at the end of August. Love Without Boundaries is honored to be able to be a part of trainings such as these as they improve the care orphaned children receive. With the support of our donors we truly are "changing the world one child at a time."
Kate Finco
Special Projects Director
Thirty orphanage staff members participated in the training from orphanages throughout China and each one brought a child with CP from their orphanage. The staff received information on child development for the first three days. After that their sessions included more on development theory and a half day of hands-on training.
The staff was very excited to learn from the best pediatricians and nurses in China in the field of CP. Everyone agreed that this type of training will be very useful in caring for their children with CP and improving the quality of their lives. This training was such a huge success that the CCAA will be offering another one at the end of August. Love Without Boundaries is honored to be able to be a part of trainings such as these as they improve the care orphaned children receive. With the support of our donors we truly are "changing the world one child at a time."
Kate Finco
Special Projects Director
Monday, August 04, 2008
Meet Diana McCown - Team LWB
15 runners have signed up to run for Team LWB in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. on October 26th. Each runner has an heartwarming story on why they are running to raise funds for our foster care programs. We would like to introduce you to Diana McCown in her own words.
I am not what you would consider to be an athlete. In fact, I only started running eight years ago after my husband brought home a half marathon registration form and said, "I think you could do this." It is amazing what you can do with a little help from someone who sees your strengths when you are blind to them yourself. For the better part of nine years, we were a family of two until that wonderful, magical red thread began tugging. With remarkable speed, especially given the lengthening timelines in China adoption, we were blessed with the most amazing son. Now the McCown crew consists me and my boys--an incredible husband, an amazing son, and of course Monty the wonder dog!
The Marine Corps Marathon was my first marathon and charity race. I have run other marathons, but Marine Corps I remember most. I know the fundraising that coupled my training went to help others. So here I am, registered for Marine Corps again, and in need of motivation greater than a personal accomplishment. I was excited to see LWB create a marathon team and honored to be welcomed to it. More than running for LWB, my motivation is in Scott's precious face, an LWB foster care child in Xinxiang.
For this marathon, as I hit the pavement with my beautiful white-haired, blue-eyed son in tow, I will also be thinking about another beautiful white-haired, blue-eyed child a world away waiting, in foster care thanks to LWB, to be united with his Forever Family.
I am not what you would consider to be an athlete. In fact, I only started running eight years ago after my husband brought home a half marathon registration form and said, "I think you could do this." It is amazing what you can do with a little help from someone who sees your strengths when you are blind to them yourself. For the better part of nine years, we were a family of two until that wonderful, magical red thread began tugging. With remarkable speed, especially given the lengthening timelines in China adoption, we were blessed with the most amazing son. Now the McCown crew consists me and my boys--an incredible husband, an amazing son, and of course Monty the wonder dog!The Marine Corps Marathon was my first marathon and charity race. I have run other marathons, but Marine Corps I remember most. I know the fundraising that coupled my training went to help others. So here I am, registered for Marine Corps again, and in need of motivation greater than a personal accomplishment. I was excited to see LWB create a marathon team and honored to be welcomed to it. More than running for LWB, my motivation is in Scott's precious face, an LWB foster care child in Xinxiang.
For this marathon, as I hit the pavement with my beautiful white-haired, blue-eyed son in tow, I will also be thinking about another beautiful white-haired, blue-eyed child a world away waiting, in foster care thanks to LWB, to be united with his Forever Family.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thank You, Facebook and LWB Friends!
We have the most amazing and wonderful friends!!! In just three short days, our Facebook friends have donated $1,740, and $3,362.05 has been received at our website and in the mail, for a total of $5,102.05 for our new Unity Fund!!! That is a lot of $1 (and several larger) donations. That is enough to fund a heart surgery for a child whose family is unable to afford this lifesaving medical care!!! We can't thank everyone enough for your support.
The goal of the Unity Fund is to provide medical care for children whose families are unable to provide that care, enabling families to stay together and preventing children from being orphaned. Please share with your friends the opportunity to donate $1 to our new Unity Fund and to make a difference in the lives of impoverished families in China in need of medical care for their children. More information can be found on our website at:
http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/unityfund.cfm
Don't forget our contest going through August 15th. There is a great LWB gift pack and $50 gas card just waiting to be won. You can read about the contest at the above link. We have received lots of entries but would like to receive lots more. We're looking forward to seeing some great videos about why families are so wonderful.
We consider each of you part of our LWB family, and we know exactly why you're wonderful--it is your concern and support for children and families in China needing help. Thank you for joining us in "living with hope and loving without boundaries." Thank you for being a part of our family!
The goal of the Unity Fund is to provide medical care for children whose families are unable to provide that care, enabling families to stay together and preventing children from being orphaned. Please share with your friends the opportunity to donate $1 to our new Unity Fund and to make a difference in the lives of impoverished families in China in need of medical care for their children. More information can be found on our website at:
http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/unityfund.cfm
Don't forget our contest going through August 15th. There is a great LWB gift pack and $50 gas card just waiting to be won. You can read about the contest at the above link. We have received lots of entries but would like to receive lots more. We're looking forward to seeing some great videos about why families are so wonderful.
We consider each of you part of our LWB family, and we know exactly why you're wonderful--it is your concern and support for children and families in China needing help. Thank you for joining us in "living with hope and loving without boundaries." Thank you for being a part of our family!
Travels With Cindy
Cindy Wu & friendI've noticed that there are many different reactions to having a stranger like Cindy tag along on the monthly nutrition visits.
This little fellow was not at all happy to see a new face, however Cindy discovered that his affections could be bought for the price of one pretty flower.
Some kids practically burst with happiness when the meet somebody new. In my mind, I can see this little guy jumping up and down and yelling with excitement!
"I don't trust you. I will make you disappear with my incredible mind powers!"
Looks like somebody is getting ratted out here: "Honest, mister, she's the one who took that cookie!"
And then there are some who will do their very best fashion model pose for the camera. Isn't she adorable?I can't wait to hear all about the children and see if I have accurately guessed their personalities. For now, I am thrilled to see these babies looking so engaged and healthy, thriving with their foster families, and getting the best possible start in life.
Jan Champoux
Nutrition Director
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Birthday Gift Beyond Years
One generation plants the trees under whose
shade another generation rests.
~ Chinese Proverb ~
I don’t really celebrate birthdays anymore. In fact, unless the number of years I have lived ends in a zero, I give my birthdays to my kids. They get to go to Dollar Tree and “pick out something for mom” that they wrap and play with as we grab a soft serve cone from our favorite place. Recently, I became age that could be measured in decades— the number of years ended in a zero. My husband knew to take me out for dinner, which was very nice. My parents couldn’t think of anything that would mean more to me than making a difference in the lives of children and young people that LWB serves. So they surprised me by tucking a check made out to Love Without Boundaries into a birthday card in an amount that I never would have dreamed of as a kid.
I was blown away by their generosity and ability to get this birthday gift spot on perfect! They know of my love for the children of LWB. They know that when I see any of the children served by medical, foster care, nutrition or education that I’m seeing my own children...and they wanted to be grandparents in a way to those kids in the only way that they could.
After consulting my parents, we requested that the check money be used to help partially sponsor a Mama’s Wish student, Nan. Nan is a third year university student from Qinghai studying English and Tibetan. Almost a year later, Nan’s US “auntie and uncle" (me and my husband) and "grandma and grandpa” were thrilled to receive, "ooooh," and "ahhhh" over her final grades for the year—which were ALL A's and B's. Her teachers wrote that Nan is a very diligent student and active in lots of activities. She has helped translate documents for LWB Mama’s Wish students, volunteers, and sponsors. We can’t WAIT to see this young woman graduate continue her studies next year and graduate. It will be a very happy day for all of us...and we will dream of a very beautiful tree that shades lots and lots of friends and family members that have been touched by Nan, enriched so very dearly by a college education.
LWB Volunteer
Monday, July 28, 2008
LWB UNITY FUND CONTEST
Starting TODAY, you have a chance to win a FABULOUSLY INCREDIBLE LWB PRIZE PACK in celebration of our Unity Fund launch. What is the Unity Fund, you ask? It is our new medical fund for impoverished families in China who cannot afford the life-saving medical procedures that their children need, in the hopes of keeping their families UNITED (hence the name) and actually preventing orphaned children. Yes, it is a big dream, but if we help even one more child stay with their family, that is beyond happiness for us. We are often approached by rural families who are desperate to help their children but who believe their only chance of healing them is to leave their child at an orphanage. We want to have a separate fund that we can use to bring HOPE to their lives, so that we can tell them immediately, “We know you love her, and yes we can help.” So in celebration of keeping families together, we are copying the contest held by the Old Red Barn Co and because we are busy people (ha ha) and want to save time, we are even copying their rules! Shameless we are!
First prize in this contest is an LWB prize pack, which includes:
A copy of our coffee table book, “Love’s Journey 2: The Red Thread”—a beautiful, hard cover book of over 250 pages with beautiful photos and stories about adoption.
PLUS a Red Thread Jewelry Set, valued at $125, which is SO BEAUTIFUL that you know you want it! Sterling silver, pearls, red silk cording…..did I mention BEAUTIFUL?!
PLUS one adult LWB t-shirt and one child’s LWB t-shirt.
PLUS (drum roll please because this is a biggie these days!) you will also win a FIFTY DOLLAR gas card to 7-Eleven donated by a friend of LWB!!! WOOHOO!! Free gas!!! Gas card! Gas card! Gas card!!! Okay, we admit that doesn’t exactly go with an LWB prize pack, but hey….we told you we were shameless and we want you to enter!
Total prize pack is worth over $250! Now that’s a fun contest, right?
Second prize will receive a Love’s Journey book, and third prize gets their choice of an adult or child’s LWB logo t-shirt.
Okay, we are TOTALLY stealing a fabulous idea from the Old Red Barn Co (http://www.oldredbarnco.blogspot.com/) because we had so much fun entering and doing our own videos to try to win their quilt for our art auction. We lost….waahhh!
Starting TODAY, you have a chance to win a FABULOUSLY INCREDIBLE LWB PRIZE PACK in celebration of our Unity Fund launch. What is the Unity Fund, you ask? It is our new medical fund for impoverished families in China who cannot afford the life-saving medical procedures that their children need, in the hopes of keeping their families UNITED (hence the name) and actually preventing orphaned children. Yes, it is a big dream, but if we help even one more child stay with their family, that is beyond happiness for us. We are often approached by rural families who are desperate to help their children but who believe their only chance of healing them is to leave their child at an orphanage. We want to have a separate fund that we can use to bring HOPE to their lives, so that we can tell them immediately, “We know you love her, and yes we can help.” So in celebration of keeping families together, we are copying the contest held by the Old Red Barn Co and because we are busy people (ha ha) and want to save time, we are even copying their rules! Shameless we are!
First prize in this contest is an LWB prize pack, which includes:
A copy of our coffee table book, “Love’s Journey 2: The Red Thread”—a beautiful, hard cover book of over 250 pages with beautiful photos and stories about adoption.
PLUS a Red Thread Jewelry Set, valued at $125, which is SO BEAUTIFUL that you know you want it! Sterling silver, pearls, red silk cording…..did I mention BEAUTIFUL?!
PLUS one adult LWB t-shirt and one child’s LWB t-shirt.
PLUS (drum roll please because this is a biggie these days!) you will also win a FIFTY DOLLAR gas card to 7-Eleven donated by a friend of LWB!!! WOOHOO!! Free gas!!! Gas card! Gas card! Gas card!!! Okay, we admit that doesn’t exactly go with an LWB prize pack, but hey….we told you we were shameless and we want you to enter!
Total prize pack is worth over $250! Now that’s a fun contest, right?
Second prize will receive a Love’s Journey book, and third prize gets their choice of an adult or child’s LWB logo t-shirt.
All you have to do to enter and receive one chance in the drawing is email info@lwbmail.com and say “I support helping rural children in need.” That will count as one entry!
You earn FIVE extra entries into the drawing if you post an entry about our contest in your blog and let us know.
You get FIFTY ENTRIES (yes 5-0) if you make a video on why families are wonderful (to go along with our Unity theme) and mention the words “Live With Hope, Love Without Boundaries” at least once. Post it on Youtube with the header “Love Without Boundaries Unity Fund.” Send us your name and the link so we can credit you 50 chances! Since we are having fun with this celebration, we are going to follow the same rules and say we need your video to make us smile at least once. We know kids always make us smile, so we know this won’t be any problem!
International supporters are also welcome to enter. The contest will end Friday, August 15th at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Get your comments in before then. We’ll announce the winner on Saturday, August 16th! The winner will be selected by random drawing.
We are also having a $1 challenge to kick off this fund, where we are challenging EVERYONE we know to pop $1 in the mail (LWB, 306 S. Bryant, Ste. C-145, Edmond, OK 73034) to help a rural child in need. Who needs an extra diet Coke today when you could put those four quarters in an envelope to save a life? Can we get 5,000 people to send in $1? We won’t know until we try. Spread the word! And enter our contest!
Let’s celebrate the joy of families as we launch this new fund to help those families in China truly in need.
You earn FIVE extra entries into the drawing if you post an entry about our contest in your blog and let us know.
You get FIFTY ENTRIES (yes 5-0) if you make a video on why families are wonderful (to go along with our Unity theme) and mention the words “Live With Hope, Love Without Boundaries” at least once. Post it on Youtube with the header “Love Without Boundaries Unity Fund.” Send us your name and the link so we can credit you 50 chances! Since we are having fun with this celebration, we are going to follow the same rules and say we need your video to make us smile at least once. We know kids always make us smile, so we know this won’t be any problem!
International supporters are also welcome to enter. The contest will end Friday, August 15th at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Get your comments in before then. We’ll announce the winner on Saturday, August 16th! The winner will be selected by random drawing.
We are also having a $1 challenge to kick off this fund, where we are challenging EVERYONE we know to pop $1 in the mail (LWB, 306 S. Bryant, Ste. C-145, Edmond, OK 73034) to help a rural child in need. Who needs an extra diet Coke today when you could put those four quarters in an envelope to save a life? Can we get 5,000 people to send in $1? We won’t know until we try. Spread the word! And enter our contest!
Let’s celebrate the joy of families as we launch this new fund to help those families in China truly in need.
Good luck!
Healing Love
At the beginning of March this year, a little baby girl joined our foster care program in Zhaotong, Yunnan province. She was only a few weeks old, very weak, and had clubbed feet. I named her Claire and looked at her photos that had been sent to me by our local manager in Yunnan. Within a few weeks of joining the program, it was discovered that she had pneumonia, and she was admitted to the local hospital. The local manager sent me regular email updates about baby Claire, but, despite the hospital's best efforts, her condition worsened. Due to the severity of her condition, she was discharged from the hospital as the doctors believed they could do no more to save her life. But her foster parents refused to give up.
Back home, the young foster parents, who had no formal medical training but a heart full of love for Claire, did all they could to help her. They took turns staying up all night to care for her, rocking her gently and stroking her face. They patiently fed her small amounts of milk throughout the day and night. They talked to her and encouraged her to keep fighting. When the warmer weather came, they took her outside for fresh air and sunshine.
Most importantly, they loved her! Every day I checked my inbox for news about Claire. Three months after being sent home from the hospital, I received this picture of Claire. Just look at her now!
Her picture is a true testament to the healing love of a family. When I saw this picture, it summed up for me the Love Without Boundaries motto of "Every Child Counts." I want to thank every one of our foster care and other sponsors for believing in this motto too.
Jennifer Drake
Zhaotong Foster Care Coordinator
Back home, the young foster parents, who had no formal medical training but a heart full of love for Claire, did all they could to help her. They took turns staying up all night to care for her, rocking her gently and stroking her face. They patiently fed her small amounts of milk throughout the day and night. They talked to her and encouraged her to keep fighting. When the warmer weather came, they took her outside for fresh air and sunshine.
Most importantly, they loved her! Every day I checked my inbox for news about Claire. Three months after being sent home from the hospital, I received this picture of Claire. Just look at her now!
Her picture is a true testament to the healing love of a family. When I saw this picture, it summed up for me the Love Without Boundaries motto of "Every Child Counts." I want to thank every one of our foster care and other sponsors for believing in this motto too.Jennifer Drake
Zhaotong Foster Care Coordinator
Friday, July 25, 2008
Fundraiser for LWB and Half The Sky
We at LWB feel that we have the best supporters. Some of those supporters are parents that adopted from China and have an interest in digital scrapbooking. They have their own forum called China Digital Scrapbooks and can be found at http://chinadigitalscrapbooks.com. The forum has been around just over one year, and many of the members are now widely recognized in the digital community for their creative work.
Last year, several members decided to create a digital scrapbook kit and enlisted some of the best designers out there to contribute to the project. The result was the Journey of the Heart collaboration kit. See http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/JOTH-Charity-Kit.aspx. All proceeds from the sale of the kit go to Love Without Boundaries and Half the Sky.
Once the JOTH kit was released, one of the members decided to enlist the help of others to create quick pages using the kit. Quick pages (QPs) are already assembled pages with room for pictures and journaling. It makes it much easier for the novice digital scrapbooker to complete projects. Even seasoned scrapbookers often choose to use QPs when they want to create scrapped pages quickly. Again, 100% of the profit from sales of the QPs go to Love Without Boundaries and Half The Sky.
The project grew exponentially: There were more than 30 contributors, and a lot of thought went into the creation of each page. Many digiscrappers print their finished books at http://shutterfly.com; so special consideration was given to the margin requirements for the digital scrapbook option on Shutterfly. Of course there are other printing options out there, but adjusting for Shutterfly's margin requirements took a lot of burden off the end user.
The project team also considered different digital scrapbooking programs out on the market and wrote tutorials for them. The quick pages have been tested out and will work with the following programs and most likely any others that allow you to put a picture behind another image. The project team went to great lengths to create simple QP assembly instructions for users of these programs too:
Adobe Photoshop (7, CS2 and CS3)
Adobe Photoshop Elements (free 30 day trial available)
Microsoft Picture It!
Microsoft Digital Image Pro
Microsoft Digital Image Suite
Corel Paint Shop Pro
Macromedia Fireworks
Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus
Creating Keepsakes (for home printing only)
FotoFusion (for 8x8 printing or 12x12 at an acceptable but lower resolution than required by some online print services)
Pages can even be scrapped using Microsoft Powerpoint!!
The final Lifebook Quick Page kits come in two color schemes: Spring Blossom and Bright Jade. Each set is available with and without page titles.
To view and purchase the page kits, check out the links below:
Spring Blossom with titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Spring-Blossom.aspx
Spring Blossom without titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Spring-Blossom-No-Titles.aspx
Bright Jade with titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Bright-Jade.aspx
Bright Jade without titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Bright-Jade-No-Titles.aspx
The kits have pages for both girl and boys, have several versions for many of the topics covered, and really do offer flexibility. Even if you don't scrap digitally, you can still download these kits and print them to use as traditional 12x12 pages that you can embellish with your own supplies. To make sure no one is overwhelmed, the people driving this project have created a Yahoo Group to provide users with support as they create their books.
This project was really a labor of love!!! Most digital designers produce no more than 12 quick pages from one kit, yet these charity kits, created from the huge original JOTH kit plus many specially-made add-ons comprise 70 different pages EACH! You really are getting some high quality pages at a bargain price.
If you are new to digital scrapbooking, you can download four free sample quick pages here: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/Freebies.aspx.
Now we, as adoptive parents, have some great kits to help us finish those all-important lifebooks to preserve our child’s history. And to think you can do this and help Love Without Boundaries and Half the Sky will make these projects using these pages even more special. LWB sends a special thank you to all who have contributed to these kits and to http://digital-scrapbook-kits.com/ for their generosity.
Last year, several members decided to create a digital scrapbook kit and enlisted some of the best designers out there to contribute to the project. The result was the Journey of the Heart collaboration kit. See http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/JOTH-Charity-Kit.aspx. All proceeds from the sale of the kit go to Love Without Boundaries and Half the Sky.
Once the JOTH kit was released, one of the members decided to enlist the help of others to create quick pages using the kit. Quick pages (QPs) are already assembled pages with room for pictures and journaling. It makes it much easier for the novice digital scrapbooker to complete projects. Even seasoned scrapbookers often choose to use QPs when they want to create scrapped pages quickly. Again, 100% of the profit from sales of the QPs go to Love Without Boundaries and Half The Sky.
The project grew exponentially: There were more than 30 contributors, and a lot of thought went into the creation of each page. Many digiscrappers print their finished books at http://shutterfly.com; so special consideration was given to the margin requirements for the digital scrapbook option on Shutterfly. Of course there are other printing options out there, but adjusting for Shutterfly's margin requirements took a lot of burden off the end user.
The project team also considered different digital scrapbooking programs out on the market and wrote tutorials for them. The quick pages have been tested out and will work with the following programs and most likely any others that allow you to put a picture behind another image. The project team went to great lengths to create simple QP assembly instructions for users of these programs too:
Adobe Photoshop (7, CS2 and CS3)
Adobe Photoshop Elements (free 30 day trial available)
Microsoft Picture It!
Microsoft Digital Image Pro
Microsoft Digital Image Suite
Corel Paint Shop Pro
Macromedia Fireworks
Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus
Creating Keepsakes (for home printing only)
FotoFusion (for 8x8 printing or 12x12 at an acceptable but lower resolution than required by some online print services)
Pages can even be scrapped using Microsoft Powerpoint!!
The final Lifebook Quick Page kits come in two color schemes: Spring Blossom and Bright Jade. Each set is available with and without page titles.
To view and purchase the page kits, check out the links below:
Spring Blossom with titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Spring-Blossom.aspxSpring Blossom without titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Spring-Blossom-No-Titles.aspx
Bright Jade with titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Bright-Jade.aspxBright Jade without titles: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/store/Bright-Jade-No-Titles.aspx
The kits have pages for both girl and boys, have several versions for many of the topics covered, and really do offer flexibility. Even if you don't scrap digitally, you can still download these kits and print them to use as traditional 12x12 pages that you can embellish with your own supplies. To make sure no one is overwhelmed, the people driving this project have created a Yahoo Group to provide users with support as they create their books.
This project was really a labor of love!!! Most digital designers produce no more than 12 quick pages from one kit, yet these charity kits, created from the huge original JOTH kit plus many specially-made add-ons comprise 70 different pages EACH! You really are getting some high quality pages at a bargain price.
If you are new to digital scrapbooking, you can download four free sample quick pages here: http://www.digital-scrapbook-kits.com/Freebies.aspx.
Now we, as adoptive parents, have some great kits to help us finish those all-important lifebooks to preserve our child’s history. And to think you can do this and help Love Without Boundaries and Half the Sky will make these projects using these pages even more special. LWB sends a special thank you to all who have contributed to these kits and to http://digital-scrapbook-kits.com/ for their generosity.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Students Help to Change the World - One Child at a Time
Twelve Ajax High School seniors from Ontario pulled together to change the world...One child at a time.
Written by their teacher Ms. Lacy:
How it all began....two students named Jalal and Cassie were taught by Ms. Jennifer Cassano during the semester I was still on parental leave with my daughter. After learning about attachment theory, what happens around the world with children in orphanages, and, of course, learning about my daughter who became part of my family on July 31, 2006, they decided they wanted to make a difference. When I returned to work in February, Ms. Cassano and I spoke and decided we would help them to make a group. I surveyed my classes to get volunteers and that was how we formed our group that we named after your association.
"Love Without Boundaries"...I think showing them a picture of my little sweetie also helped! We all got together to make a plan, and it was decided that they would sign up each week to sell cupcakes in the front foyer every week. Students rotated from week to week, sharing the tasks of baking and selling. From February to June they did this...making the $725 they donated. We made display boards that listed facts about China and the orphanages, as well as photos I had photocopied out of a book. Also, each week they made an announcement during homeroom to raise awareness about this important cause. They are really such a wonderful group of students!!!! We had a party to celebrate in June, and of course my daughter, Lienna Mei, who attended was a big hit! They really love her and all my stories about her that are so relevant to the course I teach called "Issues in Human Growth and Development."
The students who were part of this group are: Alana, Savannah, Jennifer, Sarah, Ally, Jalal, Cassie, Jodi, Kristin, Julia, Balynn, and Brittany. The teacher advisors were Ms. Jennifer Cassano and me, Ms. Jennifer Lacy.
Thank you, Ajax High Students, for giving of yourselves every week. Any amount given helps, but what you have raised is enough to fund bed 11 at Heartbridge Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit for three full months. You have much to be proud of! Currently in that bed is a sweet little girl who is truly in need of some tender loving care. Three months of the intense medical and physical attention she will receive at Heartbridge will make such a huge difference in her life. I am confident that by taking the time and the energy to think beyond the walls of your own home and your own school that you have not only impacted the life of one precious orphaned child, but what you have learned will forever impact your lives as well. Well done!
Wendy Petersen, R.N.
Heartbridge Coordinator
Written by their teacher Ms. Lacy:
How it all began....two students named Jalal and Cassie were taught by Ms. Jennifer Cassano during the semester I was still on parental leave with my daughter. After learning about attachment theory, what happens around the world with children in orphanages, and, of course, learning about my daughter who became part of my family on July 31, 2006, they decided they wanted to make a difference. When I returned to work in February, Ms. Cassano and I spoke and decided we would help them to make a group. I surveyed my classes to get volunteers and that was how we formed our group that we named after your association."Love Without Boundaries"...I think showing them a picture of my little sweetie also helped! We all got together to make a plan, and it was decided that they would sign up each week to sell cupcakes in the front foyer every week. Students rotated from week to week, sharing the tasks of baking and selling. From February to June they did this...making the $725 they donated. We made display boards that listed facts about China and the orphanages, as well as photos I had photocopied out of a book. Also, each week they made an announcement during homeroom to raise awareness about this important cause. They are really such a wonderful group of students!!!! We had a party to celebrate in June, and of course my daughter, Lienna Mei, who attended was a big hit! They really love her and all my stories about her that are so relevant to the course I teach called "Issues in Human Growth and Development."
The students who were part of this group are: Alana, Savannah, Jennifer, Sarah, Ally, Jalal, Cassie, Jodi, Kristin, Julia, Balynn, and Brittany. The teacher advisors were Ms. Jennifer Cassano and me, Ms. Jennifer Lacy.
Thank you, Ajax High Students, for giving of yourselves every week. Any amount given helps, but what you have raised is enough to fund bed 11 at Heartbridge Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit for three full months. You have much to be proud of! Currently in that bed is a sweet little girl who is truly in need of some tender loving care. Three months of the intense medical and physical attention she will receive at Heartbridge will make such a huge difference in her life. I am confident that by taking the time and the energy to think beyond the walls of your own home and your own school that you have not only impacted the life of one precious orphaned child, but what you have learned will forever impact your lives as well. Well done!
Wendy Petersen, R.N.
Heartbridge Coordinator
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Getting to Know You
Cindy Wu, our nutrition director in China, has been getting to know a LOT of children in the past few months! Right now she is on the road in Anhui, visiting our programs there. Just a few weeks ago she visited the Jinjiang orphanage in Fujian, where we provide supplemental formula to around 70 infants and toddlers. Even with all those children to meet, photograph, weigh and measure, Cindy and local manager, Daphne, were also able to share stories about their precious personalities.
Regarding the little girl in red and white, Cindy writes, “She is a curious girl. They were having dinner when we walked into the room. She stared at us even when she turned around to take food from the nanny. She looked at Daphne and me with eyes widely opened and her mouth still full with rice. When we were ready to leave, she waved bye-bye and even came over to the door to see us off.” It is wonderful to see this little angel looking so healthy!
This angelic-looking child is "a naughty girl with strong personality. Min was crying when I walked into the room. I held her up and asked her what make her cry so loud. The nanny told me that Min is very naughty, she likes to wear nanny’s shoes and walk around. The nanny told her not to do it because she didn’t want Min to fell down with the big shoes. That made her upset and she started to cry. You can see Min was happy again because she got the big shoes anyway!"
"Ya is a little beauty. She was a premature baby when she was sent to the orphanage. The nanny said actually she is very healthy now. She has very good personality and she always has a sweet smile on her face. She is the little princess of the nannies. They all love her!"
It is a great treat for our nutrition team to receive these reports. As we read about the children in our programs, we begin to feel a special connection to them. You should hear the cheering when we learn that one of "our babies" has come home to a family of their own!
(Note: The names of the children have been changed to protect their privacy.)
Regarding the little girl in red and white, Cindy writes, “She is a curious girl. They were having dinner when we walked into the room. She stared at us even when she turned around to take food from the nanny. She looked at Daphne and me with eyes widely opened and her mouth still full with rice. When we were ready to leave, she waved bye-bye and even came over to the door to see us off.” It is wonderful to see this little angel looking so healthy!
This angelic-looking child is "a naughty girl with strong personality. Min was crying when I walked into the room. I held her up and asked her what make her cry so loud. The nanny told me that Min is very naughty, she likes to wear nanny’s shoes and walk around. The nanny told her not to do it because she didn’t want Min to fell down with the big shoes. That made her upset and she started to cry. You can see Min was happy again because she got the big shoes anyway!"
"Ya is a little beauty. She was a premature baby when she was sent to the orphanage. The nanny said actually she is very healthy now. She has very good personality and she always has a sweet smile on her face. She is the little princess of the nannies. They all love her!"
It is a great treat for our nutrition team to receive these reports. As we read about the children in our programs, we begin to feel a special connection to them. You should hear the cheering when we learn that one of "our babies" has come home to a family of their own!
(Note: The names of the children have been changed to protect their privacy.)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Happy Birthday!
Recently an Education sponsor asked how they could help their sponsored child celebrate a birthday. As birthdays for children in orphanages are so vastly different than for other children, we chatted about providing a treat to the birthday girl and all her classmates.
We decided to ask our manager in China and the teacher to choose a treat that all the kids could enjoy in honor of the birthday girl’s day. The treat turned out to be a new t-shirt for each child.
The kids loved getting an individually wrapped present and then modeling for the camera. What a fun celebration for the kids. It was indeed a happy birthday, and we hope you will enjoy the moment with us.
Linda Mitchell
Believe In Me Jingzhou Coordinator
We decided to ask our manager in China and the teacher to choose a treat that all the kids could enjoy in honor of the birthday girl’s day. The treat turned out to be a new t-shirt for each child.
The kids loved getting an individually wrapped present and then modeling for the camera. What a fun celebration for the kids. It was indeed a happy birthday, and we hope you will enjoy the moment with us.
Believe In Me Jingzhou Coordinator
Meet Lyn Thomas - Team LWB
Over the next few weeks, we would like to share with you the stories of some of our wonderful supporters who are participating on Team LWB in the Marine Corps Marathon to raise funds for LWB's Foster Care Program. Meet Lyn Thomas.
My name is Lyn Thomas. I am a mother of four and a runner. I have been running for four years and love it! I am very excited about running for Love Without Boundaries as it holds a special place in my heart. I have been blessed with two children from China.
My daughter is from Hubei Province and my son is from Guangdong Province. My little girl was in foster care and for that I am thankful. She was loved and cared for by her foster mother. I feel it helped her transition to our family with ease because she understood how a family works. Hugs and kisses were not a stranger to her.
My son spent fours years in an orphanage. He has had a hard time learning how to be a kid. I wish he would have had the chance to be in foster care to learn what family is all about. I am running for Jake and for all the little angels in China that need a mother's love. Go Team LWB!
My name is Lyn Thomas. I am a mother of four and a runner. I have been running for four years and love it! I am very excited about running for Love Without Boundaries as it holds a special place in my heart. I have been blessed with two children from China.
My daughter is from Hubei Province and my son is from Guangdong Province. My little girl was in foster care and for that I am thankful. She was loved and cared for by her foster mother. I feel it helped her transition to our family with ease because she understood how a family works. Hugs and kisses were not a stranger to her.
My son spent fours years in an orphanage. He has had a hard time learning how to be a kid. I wish he would have had the chance to be in foster care to learn what family is all about. I am running for Jake and for all the little angels in China that need a mother's love. Go Team LWB!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Ten Years Old!
I have a ten-year-old daughter . . . she is so beautiful and full of life! Ten is such a fun age--still a little girl, but also knowing that they are on the cusp of being “bigger.” My daughter has told me that she no longer likes to watch animated movies or play with dolls. She has asked me some very interesting questions this summer. I realize how much she is able to analyze life . . . so much more than a year ago.
Imagine being ten years old and left at the gate of the local Civil Affairs office because your heart defect is so very severe. Jie is this child, and I can’t help but look at her photo and think of my own daughter. I can only imagine how very frightened she must be. Not only that, but she is SO weak from her diseased heart (she has a very serious TOF--Tetralogy of Fallot) that she can’t walk very fast and can’t climbs stairs. The good news is that the heart surgeon has reviewed her echo done locally and believes that she has a very good chance to have a healed heart.
This defect should be repaired at one year old, and she has waited ten years. I can only imagine the grief her parents felt as they left her, their child for 10 years, likely because they thought it was the only chance she had to be healthy. How torn they must have felt. My heart aches for them all.
Please keep this beautiful child in your thoughts and prayers. The cardiologist, Dr. Li in Hangzhou, has said that because her movement is so limited due to her poor heart condition, she needs surgery as soon as possible. We have her on our website to try to raise money for her surgery.
Imagine being ten years old and left at the gate of the local Civil Affairs office because your heart defect is so very severe. Jie is this child, and I can’t help but look at her photo and think of my own daughter. I can only imagine how very frightened she must be. Not only that, but she is SO weak from her diseased heart (she has a very serious TOF--Tetralogy of Fallot) that she can’t walk very fast and can’t climbs stairs. The good news is that the heart surgeon has reviewed her echo done locally and believes that she has a very good chance to have a healed heart.
This defect should be repaired at one year old, and she has waited ten years. I can only imagine the grief her parents felt as they left her, their child for 10 years, likely because they thought it was the only chance she had to be healthy. How torn they must have felt. My heart aches for them all.
Please keep this beautiful child in your thoughts and prayers. The cardiologist, Dr. Li in Hangzhou, has said that because her movement is so limited due to her poor heart condition, she needs surgery as soon as possible. We have her on our website to try to raise money for her surgery.
As my daughter thinks about all of the things a ten-year-old should think about, I will be thinking of Jie and hoping that she will have her dream of a healthy heart, so that she too can have a chance to think and dream of all of the things a ten-year-old should.
Karen Maunu
Medical Director
Rejoice!
Budgets are tight. Gas is expensive. Food costs more. My children listen to me rant and rave about not wasting food because I just spent a ridiculous amount at the grocery store! How is it for your family? What items have you had to cut back on?
Inflation, of course, affects orphanages and foster families as well. Cribs cost twice as much as last year. The price of rice has doubled. Higher quality formula is more expensive . . . and out of reach for many orphanages. Love Without Boundaries feels the economic pinch too. Sometimes children wait to receive services. We hate when we have to say, "Sorry, we canʼt help you" or "Sorry, you will have to wait." Yet we are overjoyed about each and every child we are able to help--the lives we can save and the lives we can change.
Rejoice with us! Here are just a few of the children whose lives we are touching this year:
In these hard economic times, we are especially grateful for everyone who has made a commitment to the children in China. Thank you for your continued support.
Inflation, of course, affects orphanages and foster families as well. Cribs cost twice as much as last year. The price of rice has doubled. Higher quality formula is more expensive . . . and out of reach for many orphanages. Love Without Boundaries feels the economic pinch too. Sometimes children wait to receive services. We hate when we have to say, "Sorry, we canʼt help you" or "Sorry, you will have to wait." Yet we are overjoyed about each and every child we are able to help--the lives we can save and the lives we can change.
Rejoice with us! Here are just a few of the children whose lives we are touching this year:
In these hard economic times, we are especially grateful for everyone who has made a commitment to the children in China. Thank you for your continued support.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
