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Fundraising & Donor Heroes!
It is individuals that help to change our world for the better and give others choices for their future! It may be someone else helping today, but it can be YOU! Let us know how you have raised money or provided donations to Nuestros Niños. Your creativity or hard-work may inspire another – and we appreciate YOU!
Northshore Elementary School First Graders Collect Dental Items
The first grade students at Northshore Elementary School in Knoxville, TN collected 681 dental items during the spring semester of school!
We appreciate Ms. Feezell for spearheading this effort, along with all of the first grade teachers and students!
The dental items will be on their way to Guatemala in our September shipment. They will be so beneficial to the children and their families that receive them!
Thank you! A simple action, with big impact possibilities - and teaching kids to help others! A Win Win!
Article Written In Local Paper:
www.farragutpress.com/articles/2019/05/8370
We appreciate Ms. Feezell for spearheading this effort, along with all of the first grade teachers and students!
The dental items will be on their way to Guatemala in our September shipment. They will be so beneficial to the children and their families that receive them!
Thank you! A simple action, with big impact possibilities - and teaching kids to help others! A Win Win!
Article Written In Local Paper:
www.farragutpress.com/articles/2019/05/8370
Blankets! Shoes! Coffee! Learning about Guatemala!
We have another great partner in Columbus, IN at CSA Fodrea school. Spearheaded by 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Lamb, the children have been learning about Guatemala while also serving the children in Guatemala!
So far in February 2017, they have collected over 200 pairs of shoes! Not only that but they have raised almost $600 by setting up a coffee/hot chocolate shop (donated by Starbucks) at school for the teachers - and invited their parents in on Valentine's Day.
So far in February 2017, they have collected over 200 pairs of shoes! Not only that but they have raised almost $600 by setting up a coffee/hot chocolate shop (donated by Starbucks) at school for the teachers - and invited their parents in on Valentine's Day.
They also sold about $400 worth of the Guatemalan handicrafts. They are not finished there - they are also hoping to make 50-60 blankets for the preschoolers in Guatemala!
The kids are getting to learn all sorts of things through project based learning - while also learning about serving others! How awesome! Thank you to each of the students, parents, and teachers that are helping with this project!!!
The kids are getting to learn all sorts of things through project based learning - while also learning about serving others! How awesome! Thank you to each of the students, parents, and teachers that are helping with this project!!!
Blankets! Blankets! & More Blankets!
Amanda B. in Illinois has been on several of our trips over the years and will be joining us this summer (2017) with some of her friends! I want to say a huge thank you to her - as she has been working hard to collect donations to make blankets!
I think they are up to being able to make 60+ blankets. They also did a jeans day at her son's private school - they made $500!
I know it is a lot of work to do these blankets - but they will mean so much to the children in Guatemala! It is also a huge help to Nuestros Niños as we try to continue finding ways to raise funds for our projects!
I think they are up to being able to make 60+ blankets. They also did a jeans day at her son's private school - they made $500!
I know it is a lot of work to do these blankets - but they will mean so much to the children in Guatemala! It is also a huge help to Nuestros Niños as we try to continue finding ways to raise funds for our projects!
Josie J.'s Lemonade Stand
Josie J. is a young lady who is a Guatemalan adoptee. She decided to do a lemonade stand at her church's Fall Festival. Josie made the decision to donate the proceeds ($121) to Nuestros Niños so a family can receive a lifesaving water filter! Each water filter can be used for up to 1 million gallons of fresh water.
What a special girl - and a great lemonade stand setup!
What a special girl - and a great lemonade stand setup!
Josie G.'s GenEd Festival Fundraiser
On September 19th, Josie hosted a Chili Cook Off, Bake Sale, and showing of the "Living on One Dollar" movie at the AYSO 275 fields. It was a beautiful evening - with great food and people! With the help of many people, Josie surpassed her original goal of $550 to go toward the Mayan Families General Education Fund and any extra to the Nuestros Niños General Fund. Over $2,000 was raised - and Becca Malone had the "Best Chili."
Birthday Blankets
Allison G. just celebrated her 10th birthday - and decided again to have her friends donate shoes or money for blankets. With the help of her friends they will be able to supply twelve children with warm blankets and several pairs of shoes and clothes! Thank you!
More Good Birthday Deeds!
Molly F. took her 9th birthday as an opportunity to raise money for chickens rather than receiving gifts. These chickens will provide a renewable protein source for the families that receive them. Each family will receive 3 chickens and eat the eggs each day. For many this will be the only protein they receive as many just eat tortillas and herbs they collect. Molly collected enough money to give three families chickens! Way to go!
Luke's Lemonade Stand
Luke is one of our heroes too! He organized a Lemonade/Bake Sale with the help of his mom, Laurie. He raised $60 which he is donating to pay for three chickens for a family. The family will use the eggs as a protein source.
Shoe Warriors
We received a couple hundred pairs of shoes from Duck Duck Goose on a Thursday and needed them detagged and rubber banded by Saturday morning.
Mrs. Lawson and Ms. Katrina's CDC class from Christenberry Elementary were great volunteers for us!
Mrs. Lawson and Ms. Katrina's CDC class from Christenberry Elementary were great volunteers for us!
Alyssa's Birthday Bash
Alyssa decided to invite all of her friends for a pool party to celebrate her 9th birthday. Instead of gifts for herself she asked all of her friends to bring shoes for the kids in Guatemala. We are fortunate she chose Nuestros Niños to donate them to. We will be distributing the 37 pairs of shoes this summer. A big thank you to Alyssa and her friends!
Brownie Troop Makes Blankets
A big thanks to this Brownie Troop for making three no-sew fleece blankets for the kids in Guatemala this summer!
In 2015, the girls again made three no-sew fleece blankets. Great job!
In 2015, the girls again made three no-sew fleece blankets. Great job!
Community Chest Thrift Store
A huge thank you to the Community Chest Thrift Store in Maryville, TN (2006 East Broadway) for donating their winter clothing to Nuestros Niños in the spring and their summer clothes in the fall! The Community Chest is a non-profit clothing and small household item shop serving Blount County. "Our aim is to get needed items to people in the community at the lowest possible prices while covering operating expenses." ($1 per garment) The individuals working there are always so kind and seem to know their customers well!
North Knoxville Church
Christi, one of our trip participants, talked with your co-worker (Rhonda) about the work we do in Guatemala. Two nights before we left for Guatemala on our November 2012 trip, Christi and Angela were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner with the Women's Group of North Knoxville Church. We talked about the work we do in Guatemala and had fellowship with the ladies. Their group and Sunday School Classes had been collecting money over the past few months - they presented us with checks totaling $435! How amazing!
The money was used to provide 2 families with water filters, 3 families with egg laying chickens, and 3 families with food baskets. This was one of the happy families to receive a food basket from their church!
The money was used to provide 2 families with water filters, 3 families with egg laying chickens, and 3 families with food baskets. This was one of the happy families to receive a food basket from their church!
University of Tennessee Lady Vols Soccer Team
The Lady Vols Soccer Team were kind enough to give us some extra soccer balls, cleats, and shirts! We took some of the soccer balls out to the village of El Barranco - and an impromptu soccer game was started!
Amherst Elementary: Hat Day
After TCAPs were finished in 2012, the kids and teachers were winding down the school year with lots of fun activities. One of these also benefited Nuestros Niños and the children of Guatemala! A couple of times a year the kids are given the chance to wear a hat of their choice to school if they donate money to the charity of the day. This time Nuestros Niños was chosen as the charity.
Just by donating change they collected - some allowance money or money earned from doing a special chore at home – they will make a meaningful impact in another child’s life. All together the kids raised $536.64!
Just by donating change they collected - some allowance money or money earned from doing a special chore at home – they will make a meaningful impact in another child’s life. All together the kids raised $536.64!
National AYSO 2012 Soccer Tournament
The National Soccer Tournament for AYSO was held in Knoxville, TN during July 2012. Several thousand players came from as far away as Hawaii. On one day, the kids had the chance to play on impromptu teams with players from all over the country. Each player was given a new jersey to wear for his/her team.
After the games there were extra jerseys and t-shirts left over. AYSO generously donated 333 jerseys and 1,738 shirts to Nuestros Niños!
After the games there were extra jerseys and t-shirts left over. AYSO generously donated 333 jerseys and 1,738 shirts to Nuestros Niños!
Birthday Blankets
Allison and Jonah are good buddies and also share the same birthday. When Allison and Jonah turned 7 years old in February 2012, they didn't ask for the typical gifts from their friends. Instead they asked them to donate $15 for a new fleece blanket. They each set a goal of 15 blankets, with a stretch of 20. They both met their goal!
Here is what Allison sent to her friends:
"I am glad I am helping people stay warm with the blankets. I hope you can help me make some blankets for the country that I was born in. You can also give money to help us make the blankets. I really want to make 20 blankets!"
It didn't stop there though. Allison's grandmother, Sharon G., also decided to ask her friends to make blankets with her instead of going out for their normal celebratory lunch. They made 17 blankets!
Allison's other set of grandparents (John and Sandy G.) got involved by giving "blankets" to each other for Christmas rather than presents. They are in the process of making 30 blankets (Winter 2013)!
Here is what Allison sent to her friends:
"I am glad I am helping people stay warm with the blankets. I hope you can help me make some blankets for the country that I was born in. You can also give money to help us make the blankets. I really want to make 20 blankets!"
It didn't stop there though. Allison's grandmother, Sharon G., also decided to ask her friends to make blankets with her instead of going out for their normal celebratory lunch. They made 17 blankets!
Allison's other set of grandparents (John and Sandy G.) got involved by giving "blankets" to each other for Christmas rather than presents. They are in the process of making 30 blankets (Winter 2013)!
Cool Sports
Joanna at Cool Sports has generously donated extra t-shirts and soccer balls. The shirts are great for the kids to wear - especially when you see children that own only one set of clothes. The soccer balls bring some smiles to the children's faces as they play futbol.
Amherst Elementary: Donate to Dunk 2011!
Summer is officially here! But for the kids at Amherst Elementary, as school was winding down and summer break was getting kicked off, they were doing something good – one child at a time!
The Amherst Elementary PTA and Nuestros Niños partnered up to hold the Donate to Dunk Donation Drive. The children and staff were encouraged to collect money to help children in Guatemala. The money could be allowance money or money earned from doing a special chore at home. As we counted money, we could tell that many kids raided their piggy banks. We heard stories of the kids talking with their parents about what they were doing; donating their own money; and going to family and friends to collect spare change. We saw children who may not have as much as others donate money, and we saw several kids bring in $40-$50 (much of it in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters).
Beyond the chance to feel good about helping others, the top 2 donors in each class got a chance to dunk Ms. Lee or Mrs. Yarbrough at an assembly on Monday, May 9th! In addition, each class that raised $35, gave the teacher an opportunity to dunk Ms. Lee or Mrs. Yarbrough!
Many teachers allowed Angela Grussing to talk with their classes about the real impact they could have by just bringing in a dollar or two – and adding it to their classmates’ donations. The children asked questions, and you could see how many of the kids were grasping that they could make an impact. There was one conversation with a 4th grader that sums it up…
After talking with the class about what we were doing and how they could help, he raised his hand and said, “Are you just trying to make us feel bad?” I let him know that was definitely not the purpose, but rather to let him know how each of us can make an impact in this world – whether it be bringing in a dollar to help a family in Guatemala or doing a kind task for a neighbor. His teacher followed up with the fact that it does, “tug at our heart though.” We discussed many things, including the fact that we are very lucky to live in the United States as we have “safety nets” in our government if we fall on hard times, but other places in this world do not have these “safety nets.” Imagine my surprise the next day when we had a huge bag of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters totaling $25.76 from this 4th grader. We talked with him and found out he had gone to family and friends collecting spare change.
That is the 2nd part of the mission of Nuestros Niños…To provide both adults and children the opportunity to serve others in a meaningful way with a special emphasis on instilling a sense of service in children. How wonderful to see it fulfilled in this way!
Ms. Lee & Mrs. Yarbrough were great sports, and the kids had a great time as two assemblies were held for the kids to have a chance to dunk them! In the end, $2,058.91 was raised!!! Several times the kids were able to dunk Ms. Lee & Mrs. Yarbrough, and there was laughter and smiles all around. Twenty-eight teachers had the chance to take their best aim, and over 80 students had a chance as well!
What a great way to start the summer – with water, fun, laughter – all while helping others! In the end, the kids wound up donating:
The Amherst Elementary PTA and Nuestros Niños partnered up to hold the Donate to Dunk Donation Drive. The children and staff were encouraged to collect money to help children in Guatemala. The money could be allowance money or money earned from doing a special chore at home. As we counted money, we could tell that many kids raided their piggy banks. We heard stories of the kids talking with their parents about what they were doing; donating their own money; and going to family and friends to collect spare change. We saw children who may not have as much as others donate money, and we saw several kids bring in $40-$50 (much of it in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters).
Beyond the chance to feel good about helping others, the top 2 donors in each class got a chance to dunk Ms. Lee or Mrs. Yarbrough at an assembly on Monday, May 9th! In addition, each class that raised $35, gave the teacher an opportunity to dunk Ms. Lee or Mrs. Yarbrough!
Many teachers allowed Angela Grussing to talk with their classes about the real impact they could have by just bringing in a dollar or two – and adding it to their classmates’ donations. The children asked questions, and you could see how many of the kids were grasping that they could make an impact. There was one conversation with a 4th grader that sums it up…
After talking with the class about what we were doing and how they could help, he raised his hand and said, “Are you just trying to make us feel bad?” I let him know that was definitely not the purpose, but rather to let him know how each of us can make an impact in this world – whether it be bringing in a dollar to help a family in Guatemala or doing a kind task for a neighbor. His teacher followed up with the fact that it does, “tug at our heart though.” We discussed many things, including the fact that we are very lucky to live in the United States as we have “safety nets” in our government if we fall on hard times, but other places in this world do not have these “safety nets.” Imagine my surprise the next day when we had a huge bag of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters totaling $25.76 from this 4th grader. We talked with him and found out he had gone to family and friends collecting spare change.
That is the 2nd part of the mission of Nuestros Niños…To provide both adults and children the opportunity to serve others in a meaningful way with a special emphasis on instilling a sense of service in children. How wonderful to see it fulfilled in this way!
Ms. Lee & Mrs. Yarbrough were great sports, and the kids had a great time as two assemblies were held for the kids to have a chance to dunk them! In the end, $2,058.91 was raised!!! Several times the kids were able to dunk Ms. Lee & Mrs. Yarbrough, and there was laughter and smiles all around. Twenty-eight teachers had the chance to take their best aim, and over 80 students had a chance as well!
What a great way to start the summer – with water, fun, laughter – all while helping others! In the end, the kids wound up donating:
- 75 chickens,
- 4 ONIL stoves, and
- 3 school sponsorships!
Garage Sales & Lemonade Stand
Garage sales are a great way to raise money with other people's trash! We have held over 5 multi-day sales and done quite well. A sale doesn't need to be as elaborate as ours are - just ask friends if they have things they are wanting to get rid of, price the items, publicize, and start selling!
Kids, like Jonah, Trevor, Allison, Ericka, and Josie, have gotten involved and set up lemonade stands during the garage sales to help contribute too.
Kids, like Jonah, Trevor, Allison, Ericka, and Josie, have gotten involved and set up lemonade stands during the garage sales to help contribute too.
Amherst Elementary: Kiss A Pig!
One little kindergartener, Josie, decided she wanted to ask her classmates to help. She was encouraged by her teacher to talk with the principal – which she did! The result – her classmates collected over $1,400 to help children go to school – and her principals got to kiss a pig since the kids surpassed the $500 goal! Her classmates got to do something fun, but also had the chance to practice compassion.
Linda McCroskey & daughter, Lindsey McCroskey
I love how these fundraising heroes came to be… I remember talking with Linda, a teacher’s aide at my children’s school. She asked lots of questions, “soaked in” what Nuestros Niños was all about, and decided she wanted to help, but questioned how much she could do. Two months later she mentioned to me that she was talking with her daughter, Lindsey McCroskey, about a way to help. Lindsey’s employer (Enrichment Federal Credit Union) would allow employees to donate $5 to Nuestros Niños – in exchange, the employee got to wear jeans to work. By just talking to someone else, and taking the chance to ask their employer if they would help – they raised $219!
Duck Duck Goose Children’s Consignment Event
Courtney Ibach & Christy Tison have grown their children’s consignment business over the years to be the largest in Tennessee. We are very thankful that they have chosen Nuestros Niños to be one of the charities that they donate to at the end of their events. They have provided numerous shoes, clothing, blankets, and manipulative toys that we have delivered to Guatemala to help children in need.
Melanie Niblick & Julie Barton (Dance Studio Owners)
Ideas can come from many places! Melanie Niblick & Julie Barton had a year-end dance recital coming up, so they decided to sell roses. At the end of the performance, dancers were presented beautiful roses by family and friends. The proceeds went toward gross motor skill manipulatives (i.e., balance beams, stepping stones, parachutes, etc.) for preschool children. This was a huge gift for children that don’t have toys to play with at home and may not even know the basic colors of red, blue & yellow when they start preschool. Brain & body stimulation is essential to their development and “fun-time” is a gift in itself.
Powell Presbyterian Church
The Sain Family had visited Guatemala with a Nuestros Niños Service Trip and took the simple step of just asking their church if they could help in some way? With a little creativity amongst the members – and children bringing in their change they were able to raise $153.26 for chickens during their “Galactic” Vacation Bible School. They came up with a cute script {link to .pdf file} about chickens getting lost in space and Cosmo the Chicken needed help from the children to get them home to Guatemala.