http://www.chances4children.org/c4c/media/news en kathi@chances4children.org Copyright 2010 2010-07-29T23:22:58+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/pictures_from_the_july_team/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/pictures_from_the_july_team/#When:22:22:58Z The team that traveled from Arizona to PAP earlier this month has returned with some great shots of all they accomplished. The small team consisted of Todd and Julie the team leaders and they were joined by Anthony, Sjkouske and Bob (master engineer). Their goals were complex - to install the generator, inverter and batteries that C4C purchased and try to get power set up at our new orphanage. Power in Haiti is not a given and they were dealing with original wiring with severe limitations and temperatures that had them sweltering. But they did it and we now have lights, fans and some small appliances running at the site. They also managed to sort and organize over 6,500 pounds of donations. They did an amazing job and we are incredibly grateful for their hard work. They visited a couple of orphanages that we have been assisting as well. The next trip will be in Sept (when the temps are a bit cooler) and we hope to unload the 20,000 pounds from the container and get cribs, beds, furniture and appliances all ready. Won't be long before the house will be filled with children! A big thanks to the July Mission team. To view the photos click on News and Media and then go to the Photo Gallery   2010-07-29T22:22:58+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/help_send_james_and_pedro_to_college/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/help_send_james_and_pedro_to_college/#When:15:45:53Z 2010-07-17T15:45:53+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/16._700_pounds_on_its_way_to_haiti/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/16._700_pounds_on_its_way_to_haiti/#When:03:36:35Z Our  40 foot container is FINALLY leaving Miami tomorrow, loaded with 16,700 pounds of furntiture, cribs, food, toys - pretty much everything needed to get our new orphanage operational. Thanks to everyone who donated supplies and who volunteered to help organize, load, and keep track of the inventory. Hoping for a quick and hassle free process in Haiti customs so that we can get the new orphanage all set up and begin admitting children soon. Thank you for your donations!!! 2010-07-16T03:36:35+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/both_ends_burning_campaign/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/both_ends_burning_campaign/#When:23:49:51Z To the Chances for Children Community: It is going on four years since Kathi and I started Chances For Children. In that time we have had the privilege to work with exceptional people like you who are dedicated to the cause, and together our efforts have radically improved the lives of children and families. While the experience has not been easy, it has been magical, and we are profoundly grateful for the support you have given us. I want to share with you an exciting announcement. We have started a new foundation called the Both Ends Burning Campaign to respond to a growing crisis in international adoption. In the last few years, international adoptions have declined dramatically, and if something isn't done, adoption will disappear as an option for orphaned children all over the planet. Relentless bureaucracies and skyrocketing expenses are choking the international adoption system and creating new generations of children growing up without families. Meanwhile the public is unaware the problem even exists. We launched the campaign to call attention to this tragedy and to spread the word that international adoption is indeed a favorable way to serve the needs of children. We are building a social movement to effect positive change. If we get enough people behind us, we can reform the system and bring more children into loving families. We know you are dedicated to children. Your support of Chances for Children has been a critical element of the organization's success in Haiti. Now together let us turn our attention to the needs of orphaned children around the globe. All it takes to change the world is the dedication and perseverance of people who care. Our immediate goal is to create a movement to promote a more streamlined and more affordable international adoption process. The campaign will involve a grass-roots, multifaceted effort using social media, traditional media, political activities, fundraising, public events, and more. Our long-term goal is to bring more children to families who will love them, nurture them, and help them develop to their full potential. Chances for Children will continue to facilitate adoptions, and is expanding its mission to play a role in community development and renewal in Haiti. In its brief history it has achieved astounding results because people shared in our commitment to children, and now its influence and impact in Haiti are growing with your continued backing.  Kathi will continue to run Chances For Children as she has the last four years. Meanwhile I am taking responsibility for starting and running the BEB Campaign. I urge you to become part of this critical effort. Visit our web site at www.bothendsburning.org. Under the "Get Involved" link you will soon have the opportunity to sign a petition to urge government officials and multi-continental organizations to reform and renew the process of international adoption. If leaders say they believe in the best interests of children, then let's hold them accountable to that promise -- let's transform the current system so it does, in fact, serve children. Please also go to our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Both-Ends-Burning/323398090196 and become a fan. Tell your friends to become fans as well. Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/BEBCampaign). Join us in creating a movement for change -- we need your helping in spreading the word about the campaign. Our success will be fueled by engagement and funding, and we hope you will be energetically involved with us on both fronts. The funds we generate will dictate the width of the net we can cast to promote this cause. With your help, the Both Ends Burning Campaign will accomplish its vision of a world where all children are in loving families and have the opportunity to reach their dreams. Thanks, Craig Juntunen 2010-05-26T23:49:51+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/chances_for_children_update_may_2010/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/chances_for_children_update_may_2010/#When:16:15:30Z    This week Chances for Children launched our newest project in Haiti. Through donations from our Kids Helping Kids Program and matching funds from Haiti Renewal Fund we are partnering with Institute Univers located in Ouanaminthe, Haiti (pronounced wan-a-minth).  Institute Univers provides education to children from preschool through Grade 13. The school was recently ranked as one of the top ten schools in Haiti by the Ministry of Education. In 2009 they had their first graduating class- of the 15 graduates, 10 students went on to college (which is an amazing statistic in a place like Haiti). Five of these students are currently attending universities in the U.S.  Chances for Children is making a $70,000 donation to provide tuition support for 350 students who were displaced in the earthquake and have moved to Ouanaminthe and are now enrolled in this excellent school. Chances for Children selected Institute Univers because the in-country directors also believe in the holistic village approach (we call it a Model Village) to bringing about Haiti’s long term recovery. In Haiti, education is a key component to recovery. While this project does not directly target the needs of children affected by abject poverty – it is a critical solution to eliminating poverty in Haiti through education. Chances for Children is excited about this partnership, because not only do children have the opportunity to receive a quality education, they also have the opportunity (thanks to the high ranking scores of Institue Univers students) to attend college. Unfortunately, after most children in Haiti have finished high school, they have reached the end of the road educationally and there are very few career opportunities available to them.  These once hopeful students often find themselves with no means to earn a living and quickly become disenfranchised and hopeless.  Institute Univers offers a promise of hope for young adults as they prepare students for further education and an opportunity to attend college. In addition, Institute Univers offers a number of programs to address the other components needed to create sustainability to the community in which they serve. Institute Univers has a modern medical clinic that provides affordable health care and is staffed with 54 full-time doctors, nurses and medical professionals. The organization is actively involved in the community. C4C will be providing funding and support to Institute Univers to create its first vocational facility, offering classes in sewing and automechanics. In addition we will be looking at job creation through agricultural programs.  Your donations can change a childs future!   There are many children in Haiti who still do not have the opportunity to attend school and no hope for a future. Your donation to our education program will allow us to continue to enroll more students in this excellent academic institution. If you would like to help with our efforts in creating skilled workers (through vocational training and job creation) we encourage you to donate to this program as well. Please visit our donation page. Additionally, if you are interested in making a more personalized connection – there are 4 students who will be graduating in June who have demonstrated academic excellence, and we are currently looking for colleges and tuition scholarships for them. Please contact kathi@chances4children.org if you have contacts at small colleges or have the financial ability to help these young students. Chances for Children is also preparing to open another orphanage in Port-au-Prince to provide care for children who have been abandoned or orphaned from the earthquake. We will be traveling to Haiti in June and in August to complete the necessary on-site projects. We will begin admitting children once the site is complete. Chances for Children will continue to partner with organizations like Foundation Enfant Jesus and Institute Univers who share our vision of the Model Village and are on the ground in Haiti executing programs to make lasting and sustainable change. Please take a minute to visit our website to see more pictures of the new partnership with Institute Univers at www.chances4children.org. Again, continued thanks for your support. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children in Haiti. With Gratitude,Chances for Children 2010-05-24T16:15:30+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/c4c_travels_to_haiti_to_launch_the_kids_helping_kids_program/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/c4c_travels_to_haiti_to_launch_the_kids_helping_kids_program/#When:16:46:38Z Chances for Children will be visiting Institue Univers in Ouanimnthe, Haiti to launch our newest program. Through the donations raised in the Kids Helping Kids Program and a matching grant from Foster Friess - Haiti Renewal Fund, we are making a difference in the lives of 350 children who were impacted by the earthquake. C4C and HRF are providing financial support ($70,000.00 U.S.) for 350 children to be able to enter Institute Univers. We will be working with Coalition of Children in Need Association (COCINA) http://www.haiticocina.org/  which represents the U.S. side of the school. This is a direct result of the funds raised in the Kids Helping Kids program and due to these donations we will be providing displaced children with a quality education for the 2011 school year. We will be in Haiti the week of May 17th to meet with the Directors and Administrators of Institute Univers. We are very excited about this partnership and  the long term visions our organizations share for the future of Haiti’s Renewal efforts. 2010-05-14T16:46:38+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/happy_mothers_day_from_chances_for_children/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/happy_mothers_day_from_chances_for_children/#When:14:57:53Z Happy Mother’s Day The sweetest sounds to mortals givenAre heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.~William Goldsmith Brown Sending wishes to all Moms everywhere in appreciation for all you do. We also want to thank you for taking even more children under your wing in your involvement with Chances for Children. Through your generosity you are impacting the lives of children in Haiti. Here is a quick reminder of what you have helped us accomplish in regards to our Relief Efforts in Haiti: January 21  -Secured plane to bring 20 children from Haiti to their adoptive parents. Appeared on 15 television programs promoting awareness of the situation in Haiti and the efforts of Chances for Children and Both Ends Burning. January 22 – launched a partnership with the Haiti Renewal Fund for collaboration in our efforts in Haiti along with matching donations. January 25 - loaded a plane with 10,000 pounds of purchased food, supplies & medicines for Relief Efforts.  Your donations allowed us to pay for the plane and supplies. Supplies were flown to the DR and trucked into Lamerdelle, Haiti. February 8 – additional 8,000 pounds of food, medicine, emergency shelter, bedding & supplies were sent to Lamerdelle. February 10 – Launched Kids Helping Kids Campaign in schools across the country. All donations will be used to help a school in Haiti. Raised $28,000 in donations (plus $28,000 in matching funds from Haiti Renewal Fund). March 13 – traveled to Haiti and purchased air cargo to bring in 10,500 pounds of food, medicines, tents, supplies. March 13- 17 in country distributing donations, supplies and food to the following communities: Leogane, Grand Goave, Petite Goave, Petite Riviere and 5 orphanages in Port au Prince (non-adoption orphanages). April 5 - Establishing a new orphanage in downtown Port au Prince in collaboration with another non-profit. This facility is in process of being furnished and prepared to admit children this summer. We are very excited about this new effort and are hopeful we will be able to see adoptions being processed in Haiti again. And our newest project is being launched Sunday, May 9th as a way to honor every Mother’s desire to see that all children receive the gift of education…….. Chances for Children in partnership with the Haiti Renewal Fund is going to make a difference in the lives of 350 children who were impacted by the earthquake. C4C and HRF are providing financial support ($70,000.00 U.S.) for 350 children to be able to enter Institute Univers in Ouanaminthe, Haiti in collaboration with Coalition of Children in Need Association (COCINA) http://www.haiticocina.org/ . This is a direct result of the funds raised in the Kids Helping Kids program and due to these donations we will be providing displaced children with a quality education for the 2011 school year. C4C will be traveling to Haiti this month to meet with the Directors and Administrators of Institute Univers. We are very excited about this partnership and some of the long term visions our organizations share for the future of Haiti’s Renewal efforts. We wish each of you a wonderful Mother’s Day and encourage you to continue to keep the abandoned and orphaned children, who have no one to honor at Mother’s Day, in your hearts and prayers. You can do this by continuing to support Chances for Children www.chances4children.org/c4c/donate/contribute/ and the Both Ends Burning Campaign (BEB) http://bothendsburning.org/ . BEB advocates for orphaned children around the world by solving the problems in international adoption. Abandoned and orphaned children also deserve a Mom (and Dad too) to call their own. Thank you for your generous support and Happy Mother’s Day!!!! Chances for Children 2010-05-08T14:57:53+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/earthquake_relief_update_4-2-2010/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/earthquake_relief_update_4-2-2010/#When:15:02:04Z Good News! Adoptions are once again being processed in Haiti!!!! IBESR (the social welfare department in Haiti) and the courts have reopened and have started accepting dossiers again. While it is anyone’s guess what the timeline and system will be like – we are cautiously optimistic that families who meet the Haiti adoption requirements will experience a smooth and efficient process. However, there is still reason for concern. All orphanages are approaching this welcome news with caution, because UNICEF now is entrenched within IBESR and will be scrutinizing each and every dossier. Chances for Children will only be matching children who were either 1) abandoned prior to the earthquake or 2) relinquished by a birthparent with proper documentation and DNA tests (to confirm parental rights). Children who have been orphaned by the earthquake are still being held by UNICEF in an attempt to reunite them with living relatives. We all agree that this is the best option for these children at this time. Chances for Children will also be opening another orphanage in Haiti. The new site is located in Port au Prince and will begin admitting children as soon as we finish some small construction projects and furnish the home. It will be a small family-style orphanage housing 20-25 children. We will post more pictures and updates on our website as we complete the home.  Please visit our donation blog at http://chances4childrendonations.blogspot.com// to learn how you can help donate items to get this new site ready. For families interested in adopting, we would like to share our plan to help you determine what next steps to take. C4C’s first step will be to proceed with dossiers already in process prior to the earthquake. This includes dossiers for 3-5 families. Once we have had some time to evaluate the current Haiti adoption process with families from Step 1, we will send email updates to all interested families on how the process is going. We anticipate it will be at least 3 months before we can accept new families. Once we are confident that adoptions are indeed being processed, we will begin accepting new families. If you already have a completed homestudy, please email us immediately, so we can put your name in the queue. This queue will determine the order in which we facilitate adoptions and your emailing us about your completed home study will help us more quickly provide you with information on available children. We are also in process of re-evaluating all of our dossier documents, fees and processing guidelines. If you feel called to adopt from Haiti, we encourage you to start your homestudy process and visit the adoption section of our website at http://www.chances4children.org/c4c/adoption/adoption_overview/ to learn more about the program. This is a critical time for Chances for Children as we expand our services in Haiti. In addition to opening a new orphanage we are also in final discussions with two organizations in Haiti to begin our education, medical and economic programs. We are going to help renew and rebuild the shattered nation. Thanks to the generosity of our community of friends, adoptive families, donors and friends of friends we are able to expand our outreach. Please contact us with any questions you have. We appreciate all you have done to help us make positive changes in the lives of Haitian children. With Gratitude, Chances for Children 2010-04-02T15:02:04+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/earthquake_relief_efforts_update_march_22_2010/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/earthquake_relief_efforts_update_march_22_2010/#When:22:10:41Z We’ve heard the numbers: More than 212,000 people dead and nearly 300,000 others injured. The number of displaced people amounts to about 1.2 million, according to Haitian government figures. We’ve seen the pictures: Countless images of destruction and suffering. Devastation in Port au Prince   But neither statistics nor pictures can accurately describe the widespread devastation, despair and deplorable conditions that are now everyday life in Haiti. During the week of March 14th, Chances for Children was in Haiti to distribute food, medicine, tents and supplies to small orphanages and communities who had not received much in the way of aid. Our journey started in Port au Prince where we quickly realized how much has changed now that the Haitian government is back in charge. 10,000 pounds of Relief Supplies were immediately held for ransom and we had to spend significant energy and resources to get them released without paying the exorbitant “tax” the government was asking. This set our efforts back as we had hoped to have much more time to distribute supplies – instead we were racing the clock the entire trip. 10,000 pounds of supplies, food, medicine and aid were delivered     We drove from Port au Prince west and visited the villages of Leogane, Grand Goave, Petite Goave, Mirogoane and Petite-Riviere.  Leogane lost 90% of its buildings in the earthquake and Grand Goave and Petite Goave were not much better off. The drive took us 140 miles west of PAP and as we traveled -   the magnitude of this disaster was what struck home. Pictures just can’t capture the widespread devastation that exists in Haiti. The piles of rubble are endless – the expansive encampments of displaced families living in tents is infinite, the shattered remains of building and lives are everywhere.  Despite this destruction, the Haitian people are getting on with their lives. Their resolution and faith is unfathomable as they clear away the rubble and continue to persevere.  However, the conditions they find themselves in are now worse then ever. In visiting villages your heart aches as mothers try to feed their children with no means to cook. Some children play with sticks, rocks and discarded trash, while others look for a place to relieve themselves in private. Bathing and washing clothes are major challenges for these families. There is no power, there is no running water, there is little sanitation, there are no schools in these encampments – children are simply surviving. Encampents - Hundreds upon hundreds of tent cities house families and entire villages.    While our efforts to deliver food and shelter went a long way to help many families and children in Haiti, it is a band-aid, and not the long term solution. There are so many issues that need to be solved it often feels incredibly overwhelming. There are many aid organizations on the ground in Haiti providing food and supplies and this is a huge blessing to families and children. Chances for Children’s long term vision is to help in some of these small villages by creating  community centers to address the entire needs of a village through education, medicine, hygiene, job creation, faith and care for orphaned children. We had the opportunity to meet with a number of potential partners and visit a number of sites. We are actively working through this evaluation process. Once we have a site determined we will be asking for volunteers and donors to help us with these new efforts. Haiti is surviving through the generosity of donations and aid organizations, but in order for Haiti to recover it must begin its renewal soon. Thank you again, for all you have done to assist us in getting over 25,000 pounds of supplies into Haiti. Please continue to keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. If you would like to see more of the pictures from our trip please visit our site. If you would like to help in our Rebuilding Efforts please click here to donate. Kids Can Make a Difference – Kids Helping Kids Campaign Chances for Children is pleased to announce the results of the first phase of their Kids Helping Kids Hope for Haiti Program that ran from February 16 – March 2, 2010.  Kids from around the nation collected coins, started lemonade stands and emptied their piggybanks to help make this drive a success. This program was sponsored by Chances for Children in partnership with the Haiti Renewal Fund.  The proceeds from the program are directed at rebuilding schools damaged and destroyed schools in Haiti.  At least 90 percent, as many as 8,000 schools in Port Au Prince, Haiti were destroyed or damaged in the January 12, 2010 earthquake.   With 28 schools and youth programs participating, the group effort raised $27,844.35 to help in the rebuilding effort.   All donations from the groups are being matched by Foster & Lynn Friess, bringing the grand total for rebuilding to $55,688.70.  Participating groups are being provided monthly reports on the effort in Haiti. Fall Creek Elementary in Indiana took the lead and raised $5,127.00, followed by Lincoln Elementary of Kennewick, Washington raising $4,050.00 and Sonoran Trails Middle School in Cave Creek, AZ with $2,509.00. Thank you to the following schools and groups for making this effort a success: The Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Phoenix, AZ Copper Ridge Elementary, Scottsdale, AZ Rancho Solano, Scottsdale, AZ Sonoran Trails Middle School, Cave Creek, AZ San Tans Heights, Queens Creek, AZ Old Mission School, San Luis Obispo, CA Celebration Christian Home School Group, Celebration, FL Montessori School of Celebration, Celebration, FL Greenfield Elementary School #222, Jacksonville, FL Sallie Jones Elementary School, Punta Gorda, FL Victor Elementary School, Victor, ID Lemont High School, Lemont, IL Fall Creek Elementary, Fishers, IN VO Isom Elementary, Greenwood, IN Cherry Creek Elementary, MT Lakeside Elementary, Lakeside, MT Polson School District, Polson, MT Sommers Middle School, Sommers, MT Tuckaseegee Elementary, Charlotte, NC Centennial Elementary School, Springfield, OR Lost Pines Elementary School, Bastrop, TX Elger Bay Elementary School, Camano Island, WA Lincoln Elementary, Kennewick, WA Ruth Livingston Elementary, Pasco, WA South Hills Church, Kennewick, WA Wilson Elementary School, Wilson, WY Sunrise Elementary, Cheyenne, WY If your school or youth group would like more information in participating in the Kids Helping Kids Hope for Haiti program, click here for more infomation. With Gratitude, Chances for Children 2010-03-22T22:10:41+00:00 http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/kids_helping_kids_program_raises_27844.00_to_rebuild_a_school_in_haiti/ http://www.chances4children.org/index.php/c4c/read/kids_helping_kids_program_raises_27844.00_to_rebuild_a_school_in_haiti/#When:14:26:54Z Chances for Children is pleased to announce the results of the first phase of their Kids Helping Kids Hope for Haiti Program that ran from February 16 – March 2, 2010.  This program was sponsored by Chances for Children in partnership with the Haiti Renewal Fund.  The proceeds from the program are directed at rebuilding schools damaged and destroyed in Haiti.  At least 90 percent, as many as 8,000 schools in Port Au Prince, Haiti were destroyed or damaged in the January 12, 2010 earthquake.  With 28 schools and youth programs participating, the group effort raised $27,844.35 to help in the rebuilding effort.   All donations from the groups are being matched by Foster & Lynn Friess, bringing the grand total for rebuilding to $55,688.70.  Fall Creek Elementary in Indiana took the lead and raised $5,127.00, followed by Lincoln Elementary of Kennewick, Washington raising $4,050.00 and Sonoran Trails Middle School in Cave Creek, AZ with $2,509.00. Chances for Children was in Haiti this week and evaluated many potential school sites. Three projects were selected as finalists for the school rebuild program. The final selection will be made in the next 3-4 week and construction will begin by summer. If your school or youth group would like more information in participating in the Kids Helping Kids Hope for Haiti program, please contact April Connors at april@chances4children.org Thanks to all the participating schools: Celebration Christian Homeschool Group, Celebration, FL Centennial Elementary School, Springfield, OR Cherry Creek Elementary, Polson, MT  Cinco Ranch Church of Christ, Katy TX Copper Ridge, Scottsdale, AZ Elger Bay Elementary, Camano Island, WA Episcopol Church of the Nativity, Phoenix, AZ Fall Creek Elementary, Fishers, IN Greenfield Elementary School, Jacksonville, FL Lakeside Elementary School, Lakeside, MT Lemont High, Lemont, IL Lincoln Elementary, Kennewick, WA Lost Pines Elementary, Bastrop, TX Margaret Fain Elementary, GA Montessori School of Celebration, Celebration, FL Old Mission School, San Luis Obispo, CA Polson School Distric,t Polson MT Ruth Livingston Elementary, Pasco, WA Rancho Solano, Scottsdale, AZ Salle Jones Elementary, FL Seale Junior High School, Robstowni, TX San Tans Heights, Queens Creek, AZ Somers Middle Schook, Somers, MT Sonoran Trails Middle School, Scottsdale, AZ South Hills Church, Kennewick, WA Sunrise Elementary, Cheyenne, WY Tuckaseegee Elementary, Charlotte, NC Victor Elementary School, Victor, ID VO Isom Elementary, Greenwood, IN Wilson Elementary School, Wilson, WY 2010-03-19T14:26:54+00:00