Dear Amigos de los Ninos,
The Semillas de Amor chicken coop (”El Coop”) is complete and its new residents have arrived! The kids are thrilled! Thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful endeavor!
To see more photos and stories, click here.
Our Semillas de Amor friends with some of the new residents!
El Coop's luxury accommodations!
Our good friends at JCICS have posted an excellent synopsis of the Guatemala 900’s Congressional Briefing last week.
In the next minute you could be part of the collective voice that will unite hundreds of children with the families who have been waiting for them for 3 years or more.
Please sign The Guatemala 900’s Mother’s Day Plea….We brief Congress tomorrow….please add you voice TODAY!!!!!
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/guatemala-900-mothers-day-plea.html
Don’t forget to pass this along to all of your social networks TODAY!!!!!
With Love and Gratitude,
Futuro de Los Niños
We’ll send updates on the progress of the foundation, information on the kids we work with, and opportunities for your love and support to brighten their future.
“El Coop,” the structure that will house 50+ chickens at Semillas de Amor is well on it’s way to completion. Nancy Bailey, director of Semillas de Amor, reports “the tile roof should go on tomorrow followed by the gate and the EL COOP sign and then we ready for the chickens. Those chickens are going to LOVE their new home!”
We’ll look forward to seeing the images of the final structure and especially pictures of the kids at Semillas holding eggs in their hands.
Thanks to all of our “Amigos de los Niños” out there whose generous contributions have made “El Coop” a reality!
Here are some images taken on January 14th :
And one week later on January 21st :
“Muchisimas Gracias” to all of the Amigo de los Niños who joined in our campaign this week to ask for UNICEF’s immediate, aggressive support of the Guatemala 900 children!!!
UNICEF has responded quickly and invited the Guatemala 900 officers to a meeting at their headquarters in New York City! We are banging out the details of the meeting and when it will occur — as soon as we know we will post it.
The meeting will be a very positive first step but the Guatemala 900 is committed to this campaign being “results oriented” and will continue to move forward until we have evidence of positive results (i.e. cases moving forward and children coming home).
Thank You again everyone — your efforts have made a difference!
Please continue to visit frequently for the latest news and next steps of our campaign…
Round 2….Wednesday, December 2nd…Today is the Call In Day!!!!! Start Dialing!!!!!
Let UNICEF know we NEED their support to bring the children home and we are not going away until we get it! You will be part of our collective voice that could unite children with their families this Christmas!
Call Unicef Executive Director Ann Veneman at 212-326-7000 with the following message:
“I am calling Ann Veneman today in support of the Guatemala 900 initiative. I respectfully request UNICEF’s direct intervention with the Guatemalan government on behalf of the hundreds of children whose grandfathered adoptions have been in process since 2007. Please end the victimization of these children and support their basic right to a family.”
Call all day long from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time
If you get a busy signal it means it is working! Call back as many times as you possibly can that day.
If you get a live person, just ask for Ann Veneman’s line and tell them you are calling on behalf of the Guatemala 900 Initiative. If you get a chance to talk to someone or a voicemail, you can stick to the script or make it more personal. Please be professional and polite, we are asking for their help.
Please forward this to everyone who can help. Post it on your social networks (facebook, twitter, etc). Our goal is to make an impressive impact and we will need everyone to join forces and work together to make a difference!
With Love and Hope,
Ellora
The Guatemala 900 received a response from UNICEF!!!!!!
That is Great News…It means they are hearing us and our campaign is working!!!!
Click here to read the response and see the Guatemala 900’s comments, concerns, and contradictions to the response many of you may have received…
You can let these responses guide you in your calls tomorrow.
Get Fired Up Amigos de los Ninos!
TODAY we kick-off our campaign to UNICEF!
We are requesting the immediate support of The Guatemalan PGN (Attorney General’s Office) and UNICEF to fulfill our mission to get as many children home as possible by the end of the year. Some of these kids are the legal children of US citizens and possess US Visas, and still, they are held up by bureaucratic delay and unable to join the loving families who have been awaiting them for over 2 years.
We need to flood the UNICEF emails with our Battle Cry!
TODAY:
Sign your name (if you are a family in waiting, you may want to add a personal message as well).
Send the email to:
-Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, Aveneman@unicef.org
Cc the following:
-Ceryl Stern, Executive Director, US Fund for UNICEF, Cstern@unicefusa.org
-Michael Regan, Director of Office of Children’s Issues, ReganMB@state.gov
-Patrick McCormick, UNICEF NY, pmccormick@unicef.org
-Christopher de Bono, UNICEF NY, cdebono@unicef.org
If you have multiple accounts, send multiple emails, and please shout this out to anyone who wants to help. Don’t forget to post us on your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) We need our collective voice to be heard loud and clear to make a difference!
Why UNICEF?
UNICEF is known to be the world’s most respected child aid
organization. In reality, this is not so. Because of UNICEF and
others, international adoptions from Guatemala were ended,
leaving thousands of innocent children a year with no chance for a
decent life. UNICEF endorses legislation worldwide that severely
restricts a woman’s right to choose an adoption plan for her child
as well as her right to privacy. Unfortunately, UNICEF offers
little advice on how countries like Guatemala should care for the
children who would otherwise live secure lives with a loving
family. (Guatadopt.com, October 2009)
All of this information and instructions on how to help is posted on www.guatemala900.org as well as www.futurodelosninos.org
With Love, Hope, and Gratitude
Ellora
Ellora DeCarlo • President & Co-Founder
Dear Friends and Family of Futuro de los Niños,
This is the most urgent cry for your love and support we have ever put out!
Please read this TODAY and put us on your calendar for Tuesday, December 1st and Wednesday, December 2nd. We are launching a mass email and phone campaign that could change the future of many of the children waiting to join their permanent families. We need you to be part of our collective voice to bring children home this Christmas!
We are requesting the immediate support of The Guatemalan PGN (Attorney General’s Office) and UNICEF to fulfill our mission to get as many children home as possible by the end of the year. Some of these kids are the legal children of US citizens and possess US Visas, and still, they are held up by bureaucratic delay and unable to join the loving families who have been awaiting them for over 2 years.
We need to flood the UNICEF emails and phone lines with our Battle Cry!
Why UNICEF?
UNICEF is known to be the world’s most respected child aid
organization. In reality, this is not so. Because of UNICEF and
others, international adoptions from Guatemala were ended,
leaving thousands of innocent children a year with no chance for a
decent life. UNICEF endorses legislation worldwide that severely
restricts a woman’s right to choose an adoption plan for her child
as well as her right to privacy. Unfortunately, UNICEF offers
little advice on how countries like Guatemala should care for the
children who would otherwise live secure lives with a loving
family. (Guatadopt.com, October 2009)
On December 1st:
Please email this letter. Sign your name (if you are a family in waiting, you may want to add a personal message as well).
Send the email to:
-Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, Aveneman@unicef.org
Cc the following:
-Ceryl Stern, Executive Director, US Fund for UNICEF, Cstern@unicefusa.org
-Jorge Mejia, Representative Adjunto, UNICEF, Jmejia@unicef.org
-Michael Regan, Director of Office of Children’s Issues, ReganMB@state.gov
-Patrick McCormick, UNICEF NY, pmccormick@unicef.org
-Christopher de Bono, UNICEF NY, cdebono@unicef.org
Click here to see the email text that you should send.
On December 2nd:
Call Ann Veneman at 212-326-7000 with the following message:
“I am calling Ann Veneman today in support of the Guatemala 900 initiative. I respectfully request UNICEF’s direct intervention with the Guatemalan government on behalf of the hundreds of children whose grandfathered adoptions have been in process since 2007. Please end the victimization of these children and support their basic right to a family.”
Call all day long from 9am to 5pm
If you get a busy signal it means it is working! Call back as many times as you possibly can that day.
Please forward this to everyone who can help. Post it on your social networks (facebook, twitter, etc). Our goal is to shut the phone lines down and we will need everyone to join forces to work together to make a difference!
