Holiday 2023 Giving Project

 1. LAKE COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER

“We believe everyone deserves a stable and healthy family life.

We strengthen a family’s ability to become safe and self-sufficient.”

 

Last year, after we wrapped up our holiday fundraisers, we got an urgent call from our dear friend Pat Ench. She is irresistible and her heart is huge. She was in tears as she shared with us that there was a shelter in Lake County that was filled with abused women and children with no one supporting them over the holidays.

So, the week before Christmas, we gathered more resources, purchased clothing and a toy for each of the children, some warm clothes for the parent, and some household supplies for the shelter and we drove with Pat to the shelter and delivered them in time for Christmas. We even had funds to include a pizza party on Christmas Eve, which was the highlight of their season.

 

This year there are all new people at the shelter…  new moms, new kids, new stories. A wonderful local women’s group is supplying gifts for all the kids this year, except for one new family who has been assigned to us. We hope to also get the mom’s a small gift to open and provide them all with that same pizza party on Christmas Eve.

The shelter also has some basic needs this year to keep their environment clean and fresh, so we are adding these needs to our dream wish list:

 

DREAM WISH LIST

• 21 new mattress pads

• 30 Pillows

• Sheets and Blankets for 15 twin beds and 6 full beds

• Holiday gifts for one new family, a mom with 3 children, who just moved in this week

• Holiday gifts for 10 moms in the shelter

• A holiday pizza party for all the families to come together on Christmas Eve

 

2. A Local Family living in a garage – This young family lives in the Clear Lake area and they have fallen on very difficult times. They have two young children, both under 6 years old. Their life was doing well until the father of this sweet family accidentally fell asleep at the wheel late one night on his way home from work and injured his back. He has just begun to walk and function again but he was unable to work for many months. They are hungry, behind on bills, and are barely scraping by, with all 4 of them living in a small garage until they get back on their feet.

 

For the holidays we would like to provide this family with:

 

• Gifts for the Children

• Household needs and supplies for the Mom and Dad

• A holiday meal ordered from a local store

• Maybe a gift card for WalMart for food shopping through January 

 

 

3. CASA HOGAR – This orphanage in Puerto Escondido, Mexico is run by Ami, a 30-year-old woman, who was raised in this very same orphanage as a little girl. She has given her heart to these 12 children, now aged 12-17, who were taken off the streets and given an opportunity to live in a healthy and loving home. Mark will be spending time there in February, and has been deeply touched by the giggles, the laughter, and the “family” lifestyle they have all built together. Everyone works together to make the home run smoothly. Everyone gets an education. Everyone is loved and everyone belongs.

 

Today Casa Hogar is in desperate need of repairs, both inside and out. Just like in Lake County, this holiday season we hope to replace all the bedding, including decades old twin mattresses, at Casa Hogar. We hope to also be sending funds so Ami can purchase a Christmas gift for each of the 12 children and maybe even something for herself. 

 

She sure deserves it!

Please donate any amount you can! It will go a long way!  As always, 100% of every dollar you donate will go directly to provide for these projects!

Thank you so much to all of YOU!

 

We are so grateful you are partnering with us to make the world a little bit better!

 

Wishing you all love, joy, and peace in 2024,

All of us at Dream of a Better World