A super success

Over the past couple of weeks we held two events and I wanted to share with you the outcome. Our goal for 2010 is to raise $10,000, which is the cost needed to make sure that we can pay for all of the children who need it, to go to school in 2011. I’m happy to report that we are already half way there. We’ve got a few things planned for the fall, and with your continued support, I know we’re going to succeed in getting these kids to school.

Pilates For Babes

A few weeks ago, we pulled about a dozen people – mostly from Twitter – together for #Pilates4Babes. Sandra Brunner (@wallabina) generously donated her studio and led a pilates class for us. In addition to those who attended the class, many others made donations even though they couldn’t make it.

The result: $600 raised for the orphanage!

Thanks so much to everyone who attended: @amazerall @atubanos @clickflickca @CreativeFusion @JeanGeary @JustineLewkowic @laurendorphin @MonicaNK @SylvieinToronto, as well as, Betty, Claudette and Zeridah.Also, thank you to @justineabigail, @paula_attfield, Kevin Leslie and Dean Hughes who supported us from afar.

Stay tuned for Pilates For Men!

Charity Yard Sale Raises $700

My friend Laura Copeland was hosting a yard sale to raise funds for Women’s Cancer, and that gave us the idea to do one as well. So, Cecile Peterkin (@cosmiccareer), Monica and I hosted a charity yard sale at my parents house in Pickering.

A lot of people donated a ton of really great stuff: Marcel Weider, Kari (@karrio) and Carey, Aynsley Morris (@aynsilly), Phil (@mediawong), my parents, Lynn Hebner, and Terry, Susan and Kevin Crow.

The result: $700! That’s exactly what it cost to send a child to school for a year in Uganda. What an accomplishment!

What these two events have shown me is that we can really accomplish a lot, just by doing and giving a little. Thanks everyone for your continued support.

(Congrats to Laura who also raised $600 from her garage sale and has met her goal to raise $1000).

Update from Kasese

We received an update from the orphanage and this time, there is tons of good news to share! Check it out:

The home is growing, the number of children is now up to 81. Ten new babies have have come in since the beginning of this year. A fifth house is being built to accommodate these new little ones, the structure is at roofing level now.

The farm at the orphanage

The farm at the orphanage has had its first harvest of seasonal vegetables (carrots , radishes) . A sweet potato crop will be ready for harvest soon. The intention is to produce food and sell any surplus alongside teaching the children how to grow the crops. Fifty chicks are due to arrive in two weeks time and someone is being trained in chicken farming to take this over at the home. The goal is to supplement the children's diet with eggs (protein deficiency is quite common).

SOS children's village

We are hoping that the rate of increase in the numbers of children will decrease as a new orphanage run by SOS children, a large UK charity, has opened up in Fort Portal (about 2 hours away). SOS have agreed to take all the tiny babies that come to NOTDEC in the next few months (who need to be fed on very expensive tinned milk), and all other children from the Fort Portal area. Just this week SOS accepted a 4 week old baby who was initially brought to NOTDEC.

Thank you again for supporting this wonderful work. F or those of you attending Pilates for Babes this Saturday, see you there.

PS - our charity yard sale raised a whopping $700. We had incredible support from so many people --- THANK YOU!

Charity Yard Sale

hi friends - if you're in the Pickering area this coming weekend on Saturday, July 10, we're hosting a yard sale to raise funds for the orphanage. BBQ at noon! Lots of great stuff has been donated for the sale. Details below! Hope to see you there.
Karen

Pilates for babes

We've half sold out the pilates class, but we have some spots left, so I thought to share this poster Lawrence did. If you are interested to come, please register online at twtvite/pilates4babes or you can reserve your spot by making a donation on the "Pilates" paypal button on the right side of this blog. Hope you can make it!
Check it out:

Pilates for Babes

Very excited to tell you about a pilates class fundraiser for the orphanage being hosted by Sandra Brunner and Chang'e Studio -- a very cool yoga/pilates studio in Leslieville.

Here are the class details:

When: Saturday, July 17

Where: Chang'e Studio, 1114 Queen Street East.

Time: 2-3p.m.

Cost: Minimum $20 donation

Who: Hosted by Marie/ @karmacakedotca, Sandra/ @wallabina and myself @karensnider

Hashtag: #babes

Goal: Through a series of pilates and yoga classes, our goal is to raise $700, which is the cost to send one of our children to school.

Space is limited - so you must purchase your ticket in advance. Look to the right of this blog and you will see a paypal button for Yoga/Pilates. You can reserve your space by making a donation there, or you can pay at Chang'e.

Can't make the class and still want to donate? Of course, please do! There is a button for you on paypal under Yoga/Pilates.

I've been to a few of Sandra's classes and when it comes to your abs, this woman means business! So come and get your sweat on and while you're at, we can help the orphanage. It's a good thing!

Baby Carolyn and a New Playground at the Orphanage

I just got an update that the orphanage has another new baby. This one is named Carolyn. She is five-months-old and her mother died of malaria. A welfare officer came to the orphanage to ask that they accept her because her family was unable to cope with her.

This means there have been four new babies to the orphanage in the last few months. Another child’s mother died during childbirth; one mother was mentally ill; and yet another was born to teenage parents who did not have the means to care for the child.

The orphanage is growing at break-neck speed. People in the community are becoming more familiar with it and so the number of children is growing. These are children who otherwise would have been left for dead or left in families that could not care for them.

The UK sponsors are beginning to build a 5th little house to accommodate the orphans and the house mothers. So while their family grows, thankfully, so is there living space growing!

I also received these new photos that show the children playing on their new playground equipment donated by the local Rotary Club. The equipment was once in a public space, but it was getting vandalized. The children lucked out when the Rotary Club decided to give it to the orphanage. These children don't get to play very much and they don't have a lot of toys. So this is a very big deal!