Give a Gift that CHANGES LIVES!

Dream of a Better World invites you to make a difference on ALL seven continents this holiday season.  A gift that is more precious than diamonds and more meaningful than material possessions.  GIVE the gift of health, warmth, shelter, protection and perhaps even life itself.  GIVE the gift that helps kids and families rise from the depths of poverty and despair.  GIVE… give ANYTHING you can… and you will help change the world, literally.

This year, by CLICKING on the "WHOLE WORLD" button in the right side panel, we can split your donation and distribute it to a project on every continent.  Your gift will literally reach around the world to spread goodness and hope to those in need!  Or, you can donate to your favorite project or continent by simply clicking on their individual "DONATE" button.

Our projects range anywhere from buying shoes and socks for kids that can’t afford them so that they can go to school, to buying a chicken farm and milk cows to help make an

orphanage more self-sustaining and have more nutritious food.  Or, even to track whale sharks in the Galapagos and Antarctica to help protect them from poachers. We are super excited to earn every dollar that goes towards these great projects and to make a difference on EVERY continent, but we can’t do it without your help!

Thank you for your on-going support!

If you'd like to find out more about each project and all 7 continents, you can click on their "Dream of a Better World" links below:

NORTH AMERICA - Supporting our Troops and Feeding the Homeless!

SOUTH AMERICA - Supplying Bedding for Orphans in Bolivia!

AFRICA - Providing Farm Animals for Our Own Home Orphanage

ANTARCTICA - Help Stop Whale Shark Poaching!

EUROPE - Medical Supplies & Xmas Gifts for Great Ormond Hospital Kids!

ASIA - Medical Supplies for Maria's BIG House in China Orphanage

AUSTRALIA - Shoes & Socks so Kids Can Go to School!

Great Ormond St. Kids Hosp.

Bolivia NPH Orphanage

Supporting Our Troops

Australia Kids - Shoes & Socks

Africa - Orphanage Farming Project

Antarctica - Saving Whale Sharks

HOLIDAY HEROES 2014!

It’s the Holiday Season,

and time to start spreading some holiday cheer

for our troops!

PLEASE join us as we kick off our 3rd Annual Operation Holiday Heroes with a Veteran Day Bake Sale at the Button driveway!  Lots of goodies… YES, including PUMPKIN COOKIES!

Just like the last two years, we plan to make the holidays a little brighter for the disabled, ill and wounded soldiers and their families living at Tripler Fisher House in Hawaii.  Fisher House is “a home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.  In Hawaii, the homes are located within walking distance of the treatment facility and hospital.

 This year's goal is to provide all the residents with a variety of supplies and household gifts for them to use during their extended stay. We also want to help make their environment and surroundings more beautiful and relaxing! We are raising funds for a large gardening shed, gardening tools and new plants and flowers to spruce up the yard and make it more inviting and enjoyable!

THANK YOU  for honoring our veterans this holiday season! 

Kitchen Before & After Photos

"It's a SIGN!"

BEFORE

And, this Sign is for YOU!

It's a way for you and us and the incredible kids & staff of OOH orphanage to share in the wonderful work of making this world a better place for everyone… together!  

There is a great African expression that says: "If you want to go fast… go alone.  But, if you want to go FAR… go together!

DURING

AFTER

Already, we have gone very far together!!

You might remember that Dream of a Better World, thanks to the "Matching Gift Campaign" and all of YOU (Supporters & Volunteers), raised $20,000 for four more acres of land.  The "farm to table" beans, maize and garden vegetables grown there will supply the large majority of OOH's food next year.  That is a supper healthy blessing, especially for kids who's immune system has been compromised.  The land and this kitchen will provide a sustainable, vitamin rich food supply!


We estimate that they prepare and serve between 50,000 and 75,000 meals per year.  That's a LOT of healthy food and an enormous cost savings that can be directed towards school fees, clothing, medicines and other necessities.



Can you imagine cooking that many meals, basically out doors, in one of these?  In the rainy season?


One other fun note… here is a different photo of the "BEFORE" kitchen in the background.  In the foreground are older OOH kids holding up letters that they received, with great JOY, from kids in Hawaii.  Often, when we visit OOH, we exchange letters between the kids in Uganda with kids in America… both are "hungry" to learn about each other!

2014 Heroes & Remembrance Run

Thank YOU from Hannah, Jack & Carly,

and the Dream of a Better World Team!

September 6^th, 2014 was the third running of the Hero's & Remembrance Run, sometimes called: "Boots on the Bridge."  It was a beautiful, special day to honor every fallen U.S. soldiers, killed in action since 9/11. Thank you to EVERYONE for showing up and giving your support!  

Words can not describe the appreciation that we have for the dedication and unbelievable sacrifice of the men and women who's boots lined the Ford Island bridge.  We recognize and honor each and every one you... and know that: 

We will NEVER forget!

Thank you Theresa Johnson, Anita Clingerman and the staff at Tripler Fisher House for pouring so much of your life into helping all of us remember those heroes who gave their lives for us and our country!   We will never forget the nearly 7,000 killed in action since 9/11! The boots, the names and faces and the many tearful participants are forever etched in our hearts and minds.

This is a “no cost” event because these fallen service members, and their families, have already paid the price!  Dream of a Better World is a lead sponsor, raising money for flags, utilities and the drinking water necessary to hold this memorial event.

For those of you who don't know, we have an on-going relationship with Tripler Fisher House and it is always a huge blessing to be apart of something so special, and to help our military families who have sacrificed so much for us.  This project was a huge success.  The kids of Dream of a Better World, with the help of a large army of classmates and neighbors and donors and volunteers, got to help put an American flag in every boot.  And, every boot had the name and face of a hero killed in combat since 9/11.

Fisher House Hawaii is one of 61 locations worldwide supporting America's military in their time of need.  Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 22,000 families, and have made available over 5.2 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990.  Fisher House is funded by public donations and you can donate to Tripler Fisher House on-line at www.DreamOfaBetterWorld.org or mail donations to: Tripler Fisher Houses, 317 Krukowski Rd., Honolulu, HI  96819.

OOH Newsletter Thanking Dream of a Better World!

To ALL of our Dream of a Better World supporters - Here is an excerpt from the founders of OOH orphanage that we know and love.  They are thanking ALL of you for your support!

Maize...maize...maize...our two gardens have yielded the largest crop of maize we have had this year! The kids have been busy harvesting, shucking and removing the kernels. They lay the kernels on the ground to dry out, and this will be ground into the maize-meal known as posho, the main staple food

in Uganda. Because posho and kidney beans mixed with veggies are the daily fare here, not only at OOH but in Uganda at large, this provides us with food by the work of our hands, and provides the children with valuable life lessons from the garden.
Since we are talking about food, we might as well talk about our new kitchen! We had been more and more aware of our need for a permanent kitchen and had been praying for  the funds needed – He always provides what we need, and this time, like a few times before, He called a group called Dream of a Better World to the challenge. 

This group of teens and their parents from Hawaii and California sold soup mugs in order to raise the funds – here's a group photo of our kids sending their thanks! The new kitchen is well equipped to cook for a multitude, with giant wood-burning stoves, a dish-washing bay, and even a “drive--through” serving window! Though we mostly walk past the serving window. :) 

We feel very blessed to have this need met, all the glory goes to God who continually supplies all our needs.

We also feel very blessed to call the amazing kids (and adults) and the supporters of the Dream Team, our friends - all the way from U.S.A. to Uganda.

Thank You!

Helping the Homeless with the Warm Your Heart Project!

We've learned over the last 5 years that the best way to say: "THANK YOU," is to share the results!  Because of "Warm Your Heart"...

Our partnership with Mauloa has helped them to continue to offer food, clothing, fuel / bus passes, showers, resume assistance and internet time to homeless and disadvantaged community members seeking employment.  Since our fundraiser, we've gotten to know several of Mauloa's success stories.  It is amazing when you get to help someone turn their life around completely.

Our on-going plan to is to help Mauloa maintain a pantry of much needed food and supplies for their community of hungry and homeless families.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the "Warm Your Heart" events… our volunteers, sponsors and donors!

There are over 5,000 homeless in Hawaii alone.  You can help us feed, cloth and care for them.  In some cases, we can help them with jobs and homes.  A hand "up" that can completely turn their lives around!


Thank You, The Dream Team!

Hope Medical Clinic Completed!

The OOH Medical Clinic, named The Hope Clinic, has been completed and supplies are being purchased!

Because of the extra funds raised during the "Warm Your Heart Campaign" and the 2013 / 2014 "Matching Gift Campaign," we were able to help OOH complete and begin to supply The Hope Clinic!  For years, volunteer nurses have been operating out of one of the rooms in the dormitory.  This clinic will have examination rooms, an office and beds for the kids who need extra medical care.  It will also house the medical volunteer staff and maintain a pharmacy.

The construction cost were more than expected and other urgent needs had arisen to the top of everyone's priority list, so the construction came to a stand-still over a year ago.  But, thanks in part, to all of you, it is now meeting the needs of OOH kids, staff, volunteers and extended community.

Construction Stopped

Clinic In-progress

Dorm Room Clinic & Nurse!

New Arrival to OOH

By the time the children find there way to OOH, they are often very sick.   "Momma" Holly or "Daddy" William (Founders of OOH) will get a call from a local agency or hospital asking them to take "one more child," and OOH always does.

The children, when they arrive,  are all HIV+ or have active AIDS. All are malnourished and need immediate medical attention.  William say: "Usually, though not always, the children start to come back to health after about three months, and then we begin to see the joy and life come back by about six months."

Here is a collage of photos of just a few of the OOH kids that we took when we were last there.  We think this expresses what William is talking about when he talks about their joy and life!

New Farm Land & School Plans!

Additional 4 Acres Purchased!

The NEW 4 acres of land adjacent to Our Own Home (OOH) orphanage has been acquired and clearing has begun!  That brings the total OOH Campus to 8 acres!

Back in 2010, we purchased the initial 4 acres that OOH is now farming and living on.  Over the years, we funded the dormitory and main house, part of the medical clinic and, "Warm Your Heart," kitchen which is under construction right now.

Jackson Button packing maize.

Dorm #1 & Medical Clinic

What started off as 4 acres of farmland has become 5 1/2 acres of farmland and 2 1/2 acres of a beautiful campus for 60 plus HIV+ orphans who are healthy, going to school and have big plans for their future!  They currently farm about 1/3 of their staple maize based food, called posho, certain vegetables and raise chickens, cows and pigs.

Hannah Button & OOH Kids

With this additional 4 acres of land, they will be able to expand their "farm to table" vegetable garden, grow nearly all of their maize requirement, add more potatoes and other daily staples.  This new land, in addition to the 1 1/2 acres currently being farmed, should provide the majority of the 50,000 plus meals served during the year!

Finally, a portion of this sustainable farm will eventually also become the campus for the Dream of a Better World Academy.  This will be a new neighborhood school with a student to teacher ratio down from approximately 150 kids per teacher to a manageable 30 kids per teacher and will be 100% funded by an existing child sponsorship programs… so, it's also sustainable with current funding!



What started off as just a DREAM is now giving these KIDS food, medicines, school, love… and, DREAMS of their own!  Thank YOU!

BREAKING NEWS! A $20,000 Response!

One of the great ways that Dream of a Better World has communicated it's projects to potential donors is through proposals and letter writing.  This month, we received the most amazing response to Dream of a Better World's "Matching Gift Campaign Proposal" spearheaded by Dream Team Members Hannah and Jack.  The anonymous US based non-profit organization gave $20,000 to kickoff the "Dream of a Better World School" and "Sustainable Farmland" Project!  Wow!

Dorm & Unfinished Clinic (Behind)

Back in 2010, we purchased the land that Our Own Home (OOH) orphanage is now farming and living on.  Over the years, we funded the dormitory and main house, part of the medical clinic and, recently, the new kitchen being built right now.

2 1/2 Acres Cultivated

What started off as 4 acres of farmland has become 1 1/2 acres of farmland and 2 1/2 acres of a beautiful campus for 60 plus HIV+ orphans who are healthy, going to school and have big plans for their future!  They currently farm about 1/3 of their staple maize based food, called posho, certain vegetables and raise chickens, cows and pigs.

Vegetable Garden Smiles! 

With this generous $20,000 grant, they will be able to purchase an adjacent 4 acres of land that will expand their "farm to table" vegetable garden, grow maize, potatoes and other daily staples.  This land, once cultivated should provide the majority of the 50,000 plus meals served during the year!

Main House & Meeting Place

Harvesting Potatoes

When Moses found his way to OOH, he was HIV+, had tuberculous and was very sick.  Today is quite a different story… he gets love, medicine and HEALTY farm fresh food!

Hannah & Moses!