Newsletter April 2014 - God`s Littlest Angels

Happy Easter!
April 2014
God’s Littlest Angels
Budget Cuts at GLA
!My heart is heavy. My faith is shaken. I truly believe God is carrying GLA in the palm of his
hands, but today I do not feel his arms around us. My spirit is trembling and I want God to make it
all better. I want God to send me to tell others about GLA. I want Him to give me the words to let
others know about the needs that we have at the orphanage. Use me, Lord…use me.
!This is the way I feel right now. This is unusual
for me because my faith is strong. But due to
lower than average donations in the last few
months, we have had to make some severe
budget cuts at GLA. We have laid off some
Haitian as well as American staff and we are not
taking in new children until we start receiving
more donations. We are struggling to pay staff and
purchase food for the orphanage. Medical emergencies will still be treated.
!I know it is difficult for people living outside of Haiti to understand the cost of items that we use
on a daily basis in a country as poor as Haiti. Housing is comparable to Miami rents and the cost
of food is much higher than mainland USA.
The months following Christmas
are always the months with the
least donations. We do receive a
good portion of the GLA income
through adoption and those funds
help cover food, supplies, and
medication for the children as
well as all legal fees for the
adoption. But due to changes in Haitian Social Services, very
few children have been matched with new families this year.
IBESR is trying to make matches, but it is taking more time than expected. In the meantime,
children wait and we have to cut expenses.
!GLA gives care above and beyond many orphanages here in Haiti, and so adoption funds will not
God’s Littlest
Angels
Unit 2081 - GLA
3170 Airmans Drive
Ft. Pierce, FL 34946 USA
Orphanage in Haiti:
011-509-2-228-1645
VOIP Phone: 719-937-4749
719-646-4800
Email: [email protected]
(dixie)
[email protected]
(US staff)
Web Pages:
www.glahaiti.org
www.glacanada.ca
Send US Funds to:
GOD’S LITTLEST ANGELS
2283 WAYNOKA RD. SUITE A
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
80915
MAIN OFFICE: (719) 638-4348
EMAIL:
[email protected]
501C3 tax # 36-4149349
cover all costs in caring for the children. Some of the sickest children come to GLA and we strive
to help them get well. Many of the children we receive would not live if they did not come to GLA Send Canadian Funds to:
for care.
!Some of you reading this newsletter might ask why we
cannot use some of the funds raised over the Thanksgiving
Weekend through Family Christian Stores. Those funds
were raised for building. We cannot use them to buy food,
pay staff, care for children, or any of the other multiple
expenses we pay for on a daily basis. This is an IRS tax rule
that designated funds must be used for designated projects.
!It feels like we are being attacked from many sides. We are
on our knees in prayers. It would be overwhelming without
God going before us and clearing the way for our footsteps.
The Bible tells us not to worry. Lay all of our burdens on Jesus and He will carry those worries for
us, but that is difficult for me when children and staff are depending on your donations. Staff
comes to me daily asking for money to buy a part to fix the generator or the water system. They
ask for food that we need to cook dinner. We need to buy medicine for the children or vaccinations
to keep the children healthy.
!Please consider making a donation to help cover some of the daily costs of running the
orphanage. All of the children featured on this page are special needs children who would
not have been accepted into most orphanages. Your donations make it possible for GLA to
provide a home for these children. If you already give regularly to help the children, we
cannot thank you enough. No gift is too small to make a difference!
!If you cannot give today, then please say a prayer for these children and GLA. Tell your
friends and family about the need. Tell the people you work with about GLA. The need is
great but the reward of seeing the children healthy and well fed is greater!
!
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. -Aristotle
GOD’S LITTLEST ANGELS
BOX 984 OKOTOKS, ALBERTA
T1S 1B1 (NEAR CALGARY)
EMAIL:
[email protected]
CHARITY #: 870573920 RR0001
Make US & Canadian
checks payable to:
God’s Littlest Angels
DONATIONS
If you have donations of
supplies and clothing to
send to the orphanage,
please send them to our
Colorado address. The
donations will then be
shipped to Haiti. If you
would like to know what
items we need at the
orphanage, we keep a
current list of needed
donations on the web site.
We appreciate any and all
donations!
We always need diapers,
baby lotion, and school
supplies.
Volunteers
Lieze!
Canada
Marcel & Rita!
Canada
Julie !
USA
Dennis & Kelly!
USA
Katy!
USA
!
Amanda!
USA
Highlands Church Team!
USA
Donna!
USA
Brighton Church Team!
Canada
Nicole!
Canada
Jolene!
Canada
James Fund Team!
USA
Diane!
USA
WECA Team!
Canada
Tess!
USA
Marguerite!
Canada
Kelly!
USA
Jock & Kaylen!
USA
Allie!
USA
Rachel!
USA
Kelly!
USA
Jeanette!
USA
Doreen!
Canada
Julie, Rachel & Gordon!
Canada
Beth-Balt Church Team!
Canada
Leanna!
USA
Lindi!
Canada
Elizabeth, Steve and Luc!
USA
God’s Littlest Angels is now Accredited By Guide Star and ECFA!
GuideStar gathers and disseminates information about every single IRS-registered nonprofit organization. They provide as much information
as they can about each nonprofit's mission, legitimacy, impact, reputation, finances, programs, transparency, governance, and so much more.
GLA is proud to announce that we have been recognized as a Gold-level Guide Star Exchange participant and can display the gold seal on our
web site.
!
After a lengthy application process, we also received word that the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability has given us permission
to display the ECFA seal on our website. ECFA accreditation is based on the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship, including
financial accountability, transparency, sound board governance and ethical fundraising. When an organization is accredited by ECFA, it
demonstrates its willingness to follow the model of biblical accountability.
!
!
GLA is very proud of both accreditations. Our donors can be assured that we are very serious about using their donations wisely.
Our Newest Angels
Merline
4 January 2014
Ashmey
26 October 2013
Djoulie
assistance
Djouvens
assistance
Rose-Bertha
12 August 2013
Rose Clara
17 January 2010
Thamara
Assistance
Ruth
30 November 2013
Jephtè
21 January 2013
Christiana
Assistance
Lifano
23 December 2013
Nadia
assistance
Jocelin
14 January 2014
Sadrac
25 December 2013
Diapers, and more Diapers!
!The GLADiapers,
babies go through 240+ diapers per day at GLA’s Baby House.
That is a LOT of diapers! We are spending between $5000 and $6000
USD every 3 months for disposable diapers. We used to use cloth diapers
until our number of children made the laundry just a little overwhelming
each day. We also had such a difficult time getting them dried in the rainy
season, which caused rashes and sore bottoms among the babies. We found
that we were putting wet diapers back on the children during those months
where the sun only shines during part of the day in the mountains of Haiti!
!Megan LaGree and her family first found out about GLA from a rerun of
the Adoption Story on the Discovery Channel. When she saw GLA’s blog
post about trying to get diapers donated to send to Haiti, she contacted us
and wanted to try and fund raise for diapers through the grocery stores her
family owns in Pueblo, Divide, and Cripple Creek, Colorado. So she
invited us to come and set up a table to tell about God’s Littlest Angels as
customers did their shopping. She also offered to match each package of
diapers bought with another package of diapers from the market!
!About 23,500 diapers were raised. That is enough for 97 days! We find
that amazing and are so thankful for everyone’s effort in planning and
preparing for this fund raising event.
Terry Robinson and Jay Terrell spent Saturday, 15
March at the Divide Venture Foods in Divide, Colorado
telling the customers about GLA’s work in Haiti. Jean
Bell spent the day sharing with the customers at Mesa
LaGree’s in Pueblo, Colorado
!
It was a very cold and windy day and what was
interesting was the poorest store gave the most!
Help Us Get Our Container Full and Sent to Haiti!
!
Tom Vanderwell, our fund raising coordinator, worked to get us a large donation of Artificial
Turf for the new toddler playground at Fort Jacques. The Emmanuel Foundation in Canada
takes old playground equipment from parks and schools, refurbishes it and donates it to
orphanages and schools in third world countries. They donated playground equipment to GLA
long before we had a place to put it and just held it in Canada until we were ready to install it.
Now, it is ready and they will be here in May to assemble it. But they require that we have sand
or some sort of soft flooring as a safety measure to prevent injuries. Since it is such a large area
and sand in Haiti has lots of rocks in it, I wanted Tom to try and find some astro turf and he did!
!
We will put the astro turf on a container and send to Haiti once the weather warms up. But the
astro turf will not fill the whole container and since we need LOTS of diapers, we thought a diaper fund raising event in Michigan
would help fill the container. As you can see from the photo to the left, Tom’s garage is starting to fill with diapers and he has over
250 packages!
!The container needs to be sent by the beginning of May. Please help us get the container here. We want the children to use the
playground this summer. It will cost about $6000 to ship the container. We need more diapers to fill the container and financial
assistance to get the container shipped.
!
Is God calling you to help? Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to help.
"Nothing that you have not given away will ever truly be yours.” - C.S. Lewis
Forever Families
Kimberlie &
Jamesson!
Collins Family!
Woodleyson!
Luth Family!
Canada
Wislande!
Neel Family!
Dawensley!
Hornak Family!
USA
Talia!
Fabre Family!
Luxembourg
Nadege!
Mellinger Family!
USA
Jackson & Judeson!
Elliott Family!
Canada
Johane & Lourdia!
Mahnke Family!
USA
Cherlanda!
Schulz Family!
USA
Frantzdie &
Wanso!
Barner Family!
Julner, Julena & Windy!
Sonia!
Gemmen Family!
USA
Waldon Family!
USA!
Roseline!
Anderson Family!
USA!
Montesquieu!
Snyder Family!
USA
Chelley & Naïka!
Saski Family!
USA
For this child I prayed, and the LORD has g8anted me my petition that I made to him. -­‐1 Samuel 1:27
Marvens!
Vander Molen Family!
USA
Beny!
Koren Family!
Netherlands
Berline !
Scott Family!
USA
Mackenson!
Berry Family!
USA
Leika!
Williams Family!
USA
D’jemson & Jean Moliere!
Mork Family!
USA!
Anel & Wisline!
Tonn Family!
Canada
Jonel!
Kanon Family!
Netherlands