Share This Campaign:
With 7 days left in our campaign, we just made it as a featured campaign at the front of indiegogo.com!!! Go take a look! And share with your friends, please!
Be sure to take a look at all of the perks on the right. Our way of saying "Thank You" for your generosity!
Thank you all in advance for making this a tremendous campaign!
Check the "Gallery" section for pictures and other info related to our campaign.
THIS IS OUR CAMPAIGN BEING FEATURED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION!
http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/12/06/indiegogo...
* UPDATE* 12/19/12 We are dedicating 26 bags out of our 500 luminaries, one for each soul that was taken from their loved ones last week. We will be writing their names on the bags and saying a prayer for each one when we light them on Christmas Eve. It will be our own personal way of honoring them and to remind us that There, but for the grace of God, go I.
Kids Helping Kids
The Genesis
Sparked from an innocent conversation over dinner one night 3 years ago, my 8 year old daugher started a campaign in our neighborhood to raise money for a local orphanage/family help center, Thompson Child and Family Focus. She wanted to buy toys for children in need. She also reeaaaallly enjoys driving around and looking at luminaries on Christmas Eve, so she put forth an effort.
To an 8 year old, it didn't make sense to her that her neighborhood didn't do luminaries on Christmas eve. She asked me why our neighborhood had never done that, one night over dinner. I told her that it costs money and that some people might not want to participate if it would mean they had to pay and someone would have to lead the effort to get it started. She responded by asking me why couldn't "we" just do it for the whole neighborhood? To just decorate it all ourselves. Seemed so simple to her, that we should just go around and do this ourselves in our neighborhood to make it pretty for everyone. She then added, "Maybe people would donate money if we do that and we could buy toys for kids who won't have any on Christmas." Again, seemed so simple to her. And she was right. It was simple.
She and her sister go to all 60 homes in our neighborhood and ask for donations for the children of TCFF. And for their generosity and kindness, our family donates from our own pocket, the luminaries for the entire neighborhood. All this, from a simple question, from a curious child over dinner 3 years ago.
To date, my daughters have raised on average about $700 per year. Certainly an excellent achievement in a small neighborhood. With that money, they then go and buy toys, LOTS of toys with all of the money raised. All of the money goes to the purchase of the toys. (None of it is used for the luminaries or supplies.) If you ask my girls, this is their favorite part of course. Picking out the toys for all of these children. Seeing the reward for their hard work and knowing that these are going to children in need at Christmas. That's what makes them happiest.
The money from this online campaign, will combine with our neighborhood Luminarie campaign and if we reach our goal, will make for an incredible Christmas at the TCFF home. Bicycles, footballs, toys, games, you name it. We will be getting it to them before Christmas day.
The needs
Thompson Child and Family Focus is a non profit organization that is like any other, struggling in a down economy and always needing funds. Our "Lights For Little Ones" campaign focuses just on the Christmas needs for these children, however the organization is always in need of funding throughout the year. This specific Christmas Toy funding drive is just one cog in the funding wheel that we are trying to serve through this campaign. Throughout the year, basic necessities such as sheets, clothes, toiletries and such are constantly in demand as the Home tends to many children and families.
The impacting results
Your donation makes a difference. A child will receive toys that they may not have gotten on Christmas otherwise. Your generosity will provide a smile, a warm feeling, a safe moment for a child that may not otherwise get to feel that. It will give that child some hope, reaffirm in them the kindness of others and that they are indeed cared for and loved. Your donation, gives a child a Christmas this year. And that alone, may be the most important thing you do this holiday season.
What you get in return
Our perks are listed on the right side of your browser window. Any level of donation is acceptable of course, even if it's just $1! Imagine, if 10,000 people all donated just $1 how incredible this could be for these children. However, you will notice that the Perks start at the $10 level with a letter of thanks from TCFF, all the way up to $500 in which you receive 7 days in Costa Rica at The Flying Scorpion! (Air fare not incuded)
Help any way possible
Even if you are unable to assist in a financial manner this year, you can still help. Spread the word of our campaign through the Share Tools here on Indiegogo. Use facebook, twitter, email, word of mouth. Anything you can think of to spread the word of this campaign to all your friends, churches, schools etc. to help bring a smile to a child's face this holiday.
www.facebook.com/beautifulwood
