Our Food Bank Hero, Gary Jackson

No one should go hungry. But people do every day. Some live on the streets and many others have a home to live in but not enough money to pay for food. For the 5th time, the food pantry was very low on food. And for the 5th time, you all jumped in to help. We are grateful for all of your donations that allow us to continue to help stock the Mualoa Food Pantry at Sunset Beach Christian Church on the North Shore of Oahu.

The pantry opened and we stood by

and watched as the steady flow of people, many of whom live under trees across the street on the North Shore, came in for a generous bag full of groceries. Our favorite part of being there was watching Gary Jackson, who runs the food pantry, interact with the people. He is kind, outgoing and has a way of making every person who enters there feel like they are the most special person in the world. And they are.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thank you to everyone who jumped in with last month’s fundraiser! We could never do all of this without all of you!   

This holiday season, as we continue to reach out to serve kids and families in need around the world, we just want to take a moment to let you know how grateful we are for each and every person who has donated to Dream of a Better World over the past 10 years.

We can really not even begin to detail all that we have been able to accomplish with your help, but here are some highlights…

We have purchased backpacks and school supplies, built homes, replaced cars, supplied food and water, planted gardens, supplied musical equipment to a high school band, and fed kids around the globe from Africa to the Mexican Border.  We have brought joy and relief to kids suffering from cancer and other diseases. We provided a full Christmas celebration for Veteran’s and their families in a hospital in Hawaii for seven years in a row. We have bought goats in Africa, underwear and socks in South America, wheelchairs for girls in an orphanage in China, and more.

We have provided tens of thousands of dollars worth of household supplies including bedding, appliances, beds, furniture, kitchen supplies and more to families who lost their homes in Hurricane Harvey or in the fires in Santa Rosa and Paradise, CA.  We found that many of our new friends were living in RV's or tents.

There is so much more work to be done. There are more people who need a chance for a better life. Our environment and changing weather patterns, and the devastating fires and floods in recent years, have created even more places for us to put our time, energy and money in hopes of making a difference. We are not a big, giant corporation. We are a group of 3 kids and a few adults who keep this going…one person, one family, one story at a time.

 WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU!

The BEST Birthday Gift!

Thank you all for your donations! We were able to completely renovate the computer room at this amazing home, part of a program that educates and houses young village girls from Morocco, giving them the skills to succeed, have careers, and go to college!  We purchased 6 computers, a printer, office supplies and raised enough funds for new chairs and some fresh paint! 

Thank you so much. These girls are going to change the world!

PS. Here is an article that our Morocco partner organization  printed in their most recent newsletter:

Education For All. Making a Difference for Village Girls in Morocco

Several of the moms whose kids have worked with Dream of a Better World in the past, went on a trip this month to celebrate our 60^th birthdays. We spent 14 days touring Morocco and were in awe of the beauty of the land and the people in this diverse country.

Just like we have hopefully taught our kids, when we visit a new place, we always hope to leave the place a little better than we found it. Morocco was no different. With a group of women with giant hearts and a ton of energy and

ideas, we found many ways of doing small things with great love. We visited a cooking school in Marrakesh, the Amal Foundation, a place to give hope and skills to abused and neglected women of Morocco. It was quite powerful, and if anyone ever goes to Marrakesh, we highly recommend that you stop there for a cooking class and for a deep dive into the heart of this amazing foundation.

We also were fortunate to meet 36 beautiful young girls who live at a home founded by Education For All. They each introduced themselves to us with a big smile and a kiss. You can see the hope and the appreciation all around the home. They are the lucky ones. Very few girls from the rural communities of the High Atlas Mountains get the opportunity of continuing their education beyond primary school. Secondary schools, mostly many miles away in larger towns, are not accessible to them because either their parents cannot afford to pay for lodgings or transport near secondary schools or they do not have the confidence in existing facilities to entrust their daughters to be away from home.

After meeting all the girls, learning about their personal stories, and having lunch at the home, we all decided we wanted to help bring new technology into their home to help with their education. They are currently using 2 computers with floppy discs. We have already raised the funds for 3 computers, a printer and some supplies, but we have decided that the DOABW moms will take on the project of updating their computer room. We hope to buy 5 more laptops, another printer, chairs, ink, paper and supplies for these amazing young girls.

We all know how important education is for our kids in America. Imagine being stuck in a village with no hope for a better life. We are so excited that these girls have a chance to complete high school and go on to college. The first girl from this home is already getting her master’s degree. These girls are part of our future. We are so grateful to have met them and to be able to share their stories.

If you would like to help us raise the funds for more computers and supplies, please click the button on the right. Thank you so much for always believing in what we do!

Hi Everyone,

We are collecting supplies and helping raise funds to help shelter, feed and educate kids and families in Mexico. Please let us know if you are interested in joining us for this event! Or donate if you can using the button on the right. They are also asking for donations of new underwear, kids school and art supplies, and hygiene products that will be hand delivered to shelters in Tijuana.

Thank you for supporting us through the years!

Carly, Jack and Hannah

Every single person deserves food, clothing, shelter and LOVE…

Over the years, Dream of a Better World has worked on projects helping kids and families in need on all continents. Lately we have found that many needs are right in our own back yard. Hurricane Harvey. Then the fires in Santa Rosa, followed by the devastation in Paradise, CA, .

And there have been kids who need funds, and letters, and love and toys. Some days it feels overwhelming, but those are the days that we need to step up even more. There are people suffering and then there are those of us who can lighten the load, even if just a little.

Next month, we will be sending funds and supplies to kids and families who have been detained or blocked at the border towns in Mexico. There are kids who need food, clothing, an education, a soft place to lay their heads at night and some hope. There are families who have been separated. There are moms who are eager to learn a trade so that they can provide for their families in Mexico or wherever they end up. Let’s show them we care. We do not know where their forever homes will be when all of this turmoil ends, but they fled because they were suffering. Let’s lighten their load.

Anything you can donate will provide:

Basic necessities of food and clothing for children and families along the Mexican Border

Art and music supplies for the kids

Supplies and needs for education of the youth

Sewing machines and classes for job training for the adults

And if you are free and in Marin on September 20^th, please let us know! There is a very special night planned that you will be sure to enjoy if you are free!

We appreciate you all so much,

All of us at Dream of a Better World!

Attitude and a Beautiful Spirit!

We are still sending letters to Chance! He loves hearing from so many people and his mom told us that it encourages him every time he gets a card or a letter in the mail. Chance has lost his home and all possessions in the Paradise Fire and he has suffered with serious medical problems for many years now, but Chance has an amazing attitude and a beautiful spirit!

 

If you can send him a card, 

his address is:

Chance Johnson

60 Cobblestone Drive, Apt. F

Chico, CA 95928

We appreciate you all so much!

Carly, Jack, Hannah and all of us at Dream of a Better World!

ELDA Thanks You!

Thank you everyone who donated for the End of Life Doula Association fundraiser to help provide comfort and support to dying people in need in the San Francisco Bay Area. Your donations will provide for final wishes, hospital beds, medical supplies, memorial and burial expenses and more.

For anyone who wants to learn more about ELDA, click here http://www.endoflifedoulaalliance.com/

Urgent Update... Let's Help This Family Heal & Rest!

Many of you know about Chance from our holiday fundraiser in Paradise, California. Chance is an amazing 13 year-old kid with a big smile and a huge heart. His family, including his siblings, his parents and his grandparents lost EVERYTHING in the November 2018 wildfires. Not only did they have to start over and move to a small apartment without any of their possessions, they are also struggling to get medical care for Chance, who needs a kidney transplant. 

Finally, Chance is getting 
some advanced medical treatment that he has been waiting for. He is going to Stanford 3 days a week for the kidney dialysis that he needs to save his life. The family is divided, with Chance’s dad, Phil, living and working in Paradise to earn money to pay their bills, while Chance’s mom, Tammy, is driving Chance back and forth to Stanford for treatments.

We have two simple requests and would love it so much if you could help with either of these. This family is very close. Chance misses his family and his dog. He needs encouragement and support to get through this. If you have time, could you (or your younger kids) send him a card with some get well wishes to:




Chance Johnson
60 Cobblestone Dr. Apt. F
Chico, CA  95928


And we are raising funds to help the family pay for gas and food. Every little bit will help this sweet family rest and heal and take care of their son without so much worry. Thank you SO much for always showing up and taking care of others. We all need each other, that’s for sure.

Thank you!

All of us at Dream of a Better World

If you can donate, there is a link here on the blog for Chance, or you can send checks to:

Dream of a Better World
67 Del Oro Lagoon
Novato, CA  94949

Update from the Paradise California Wildfire Fundraiser

Hope Lives On in Paradise and Magalia - Without all of you, 
this precious moment would never have happened!

Meet Gary & Frieda... the cutest couple ever... who lost literally
everything in the fire and are now living in a small trailer.

Thank you all for your support over the holidays!   Because of your generosity, we had the privilege of providing much needed supplies and Christmas gifts to 7 different families, most of whom have lost all of their possessions and their homes in the fires in November that devastated the towns of Paradise and Magalia.

We have been fortunate to get to know and adore these folks, and we wish you could have all been there to see the tears, the smiles, the excitement and the hugs as they opened almost one hundred gifts, including a new walker for our new friend, Gary, supplies to stock trailers and new apartments, shoes, clothing, food, blankets, cleaning supplies and more!

One of our biggest surprises was for a young boy named Chance, who has a rare medical condition that leaves him mostly homebound. His family home burned, yet he expressed gratitude that his family was safe and together. Chance has a GIANT heart and has been through a lot in his life, and we all wanted to do something special for him. Chance had a huge matchbox collection that was destroyed in the fire, so we contacted friends in the toy business (thank you John, Mitch, and Dave!) who came through in a big way and donated some VERY rare matchbox cars for him to start his collection anew. And, thanks to all of you, we purchased dozens of cars for him to play with every day!

At Dream of a Better World, we may not raise TONS of money, but whatever we get to do, there seems to be a special uniqueness to our projects. We think it’s because every bit comes from the heart. And it all starts with you, our donors who have trusted us through the years and have enabled us all to make the world just a little bit better. 

Thank you so much and we all hope you are having a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,  Carly, Jack, Hannah, Max, Natalie

and all of us at Dream of a Better World
 

P.S. We had the honor of passing out a lot of much appreciated gifts this Christmas... this blanket from the video above is one example captured on someones phone.  It's precious... just like our new friends all are!