Charities Blog

Giving Something Back

Manchester United FC For Cystic Fibrosis

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UK foolball club giants Manchester United has chosen the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as their charity for this year (2006-2007). The disease, which is genetically passed down clogs the internal organs with a sticky mucus. At worst, it can lead to serious chronic infections, as well as lung inflammation.

In the UK alone, Cystic Fibrosis is the leading life-threatening disease that is genetically inherited. Each week, when 5 babies are diagnosed with the disease, 3 of them will die.

Young Man U fan, Max Paton (pictured above with his heroes Rio Ferdinand and Darren Fletcher), who also suffers from the disease, will be fronting the campaign to raise funds and awareness for the charity. The six-year-old takes 30 pills of medication a day, needs physiotherapy and intravenous antibiotics regularly just to stay healthy.

On October 28th and 29th, the Trust will be holding an Abseil Fundraiser (a dangerous clinbing technique) in Old Trafford to hopefully raise the �50,000 needed for gene therapy research to help children like Max who suffer from the disease.

The participant who raises the most funds will win a pair of football boots signed by defender Rio Ferdinand, who says:

“I always get an adrenalin rush when I run onto the pitch at Old Trafford � and am sure people will feel the same if they take part in this abseil. It�s a great chance to do something different and I�m sure lots of fans will love the chance to get so close to the action. It will make a real difference to the thousands of young people that have cystic fibrosis.”

[tags]Manchester United,Cystic Fibrosis[/tags]

Originally posted on October 8, 2006 @ 2:59 pm

Adopting: Armenia

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Located between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, Armenia is a beautiful country which has endured a history of strife. The smallest of the former Soviet republics, it gained its independence in 1991.

The people of Armenia are fair to olive-skinned and dark haired, and are Orthodox in their beliefs. It is a highly urbanized society, with an astounding 70% of its population living in towns.

Most Armenians speak Russian in addition to the national language, Armenian, which is a 2,000 year-old language with its own unique alphabet.

Children Available

It is possible to adopt children as young as 6 months as well as older children and those with special needs.

Eligible Applicants

Unlike many countries, single women are eligable to adopt from Armenia, and married couples of course. Adoptive parents should be under 49 years old to adopt an infant who us under one year of age, or least 20 years older than the child. Having older children already in your home is also acceptable.

The Process

In Armenia, the full adoption process takes from 10 months to one year. It is necessary for the adoptive parent/parents to travel to Armenia for 2-3 weeks to complete the adoption process, and only one parent is required to travel. A brief trip to Moscow, Russia may also be necessary to complete the immigration requirements of your embassy as well as the child’s medical certification.

For more information, inquire at your Armenian consulate or online.

Note: Most agencies prefer adoptive parents of Armenian descent or similar cultural/religious beliefs. Adopting parents will also be asked for a promise to maintain the child’s cultural heritage, and to provide a letter of reference from their church leader.

Originally posted on September 2, 2006 @ 6:14 pm

The Basket Brigade

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“Everyone has the need to contribute. It is one of the six human needs. If you give from your heart, it will come back to you tenfold.” — Anthony Robbins

One of the most powerful books available is the little book called Notes From A Friend by Anthony Robbins. Don’t be fooled by its size. It packs a wallop! In fact one of the greatest ways to make a difference can be found in the first few pages of this book.

Robbins talks about how a stranger had arrived on their doorstep one gloomy thanksgiving and delivered to their impoverished family a basketful of everything they needed to celebrate the holiday. When they tried to thank him he said that he was just the delivery guy. A stranger had made what would have been a very sad moment a highpoint in a family’s life.

We too can make a difference. People don’t need to know we are the source of the gift. It is pretty easy to find out from the local community centers who are the families who truly need assistance and what they need. It is possible to drop off your gifts to them on their doorstep without their knowing you were there. Just be the delivery guy and make someone’s day.

Don’t worry that what you give them only lasts a moment. Sometimes that is all people need, help to get through or past a difficult time. Food may not last very long but when you have just lost everything in a natural disaster it is much appreciated.

If you’d like to be part of the International Basket Brigade, visit the website of the Anthony Robbins Foundation. You can help by contributing in-kind or in cash or you can help find families that need your generosity the most. You can even organize your own basket brigade or deliver the baskets yourselves.

It makes a difference in people’s lives to know that someone cares for them, even if they’ve never met. Go ahead and make a difference.

Originally posted on August 20, 2006 @ 4:43 pm

Adopting: The Philippines

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Etheopia, Cambodia…even Russia. Blame it on Hollywood, but those countries are among the most popular for adoptions. And as we all know, there are children in need of loving families all over the world. So, for my next few posts, I’ll be featuring those places which don’t get as much coverage as they should (thanks to Brangelina et al)

Adopting From The Philippines

More than 7,100 islands make up the Philippines archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The third largest English speaking country in the world (behind the U.S. and the U.K.), the Philippines has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences.

Ceded by Spain to the U.S. in 1898 following the Spanish-American War, the Philippines attained their independence in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in World War II. Today, the population of the Philippines exceeds 76 million people.

Filipinos are a freedom-loving people, as evidenced by two recent peaceful, bloodless revolutions against what were perceived as corrupt governmental regimes.
In 2004, U.S. citizens only adopted approximately 196 children from the Philippines.

Children Available: Healthy children, between 11 and 20 months of age at the time of placement. Older and special needs children are also available for adoption from the Philippines.

Parent Requirements: Married couples, single men, and single women may adopt from the Philippines. Parents must be at least 27 years old and at least 16 years older than the child to be adopted.

Travel Requirements: One parent is required to travel, although both parents are strongly urged to make the trip. Trip length averages five to seven days.

Time Frame: From your initial application until the time your bring your child home takes an average of 18 months.

Additional Information: There are more boys available for adoption than girls in the Philippines, primarily because girls are responsible for taking care of aged parents in Filipino society. Some of the children available for adoption live in orphanages while others are in foster care.

Originally posted on August 30, 2006 @ 8:32 am