Remember the Guatemala 5,000???  There is a reason we only have 400 kids left to fight for.  The advocacy work of our friends at Joint Council continues to make a difference in the lives of millions of vulnerable children.  Please support them this Halloween!  Say No Thanks to Candy….and Just Say No to those other little collection boxes….Make a Difference….Make Change for Children!

THIS HALLOWEEN….TAKE A PASS ON CANDY.

Orphans simply don’t count. The current estimate of 153 million orphans worldwide was calculated by large aid and development organizations. However this number does not include children living in baby houses, orphanages, group homes or on the streets throughout much of the world. Apparently these children just don’t count.

Joint Council knows this attitude has to change, and the current system to support the world’s most vulnerable children has to change. Join us this Halloween as we make…CHANGE FOR CHILDREN.  We have a goal of raising $40,000 this October through Halloween-themed events, and we need your help! Here’s how you, your family and friends can help ensure children in need find a safe, permanent and loving family:

Take a pass on candy!

Instead of asking for candy on Halloween, ask for spare change, then send the donations to Joint Council. You and your kids can download and print the Change for Children graphic on Joint Council’s website, to attach to your own collection bags, boxes or buckets. Tell donors that their spare change will help orphaned children find a safe, permanent and loving family.

Host a party!

Whether it’s a costume party or a cocktail party, you can invite your friends over for an evening ofsocializing and enlightenment on the orphan crisis. Ask for small donations to Joint Council and show them how their kids can make Change for Children on Halloween night. You can print out our downloadable graphic to hand out to them so their kids can create their own Change for ChildrenHalloween bags.

Get all the kids involved!

Nothing’s better than kids helping kids! Download and print our media kit (the seven files at the bottom of this page) and take it to your children’s school. Engage their classroom or the whole school in a coin drive for Change for Children. Work with your child’s home room or art teacher to plan a Create-Your-OwnChange for Children Halloween Collection Bag art project.

Hold a fund raising event!

Jack-o-lantern carving contest, pumpkin pie cook-off, haunted house, costume car wash, orange and black bake sale, costume dance-a-thon, contest to guess how many pumpkin seeds/candy corns are in the jar—there are so many fun ways you can bring people together to make Change for Children this Halloween.

Take Your Change for Children To Work Day!

Set up a collection bucket at your desk, cash register or counter. Put it next to a bowl of Halloween candy and suggest co-workers or customers leave some spare change in exchange for something sweet. Download and print out the Change for Children graphic to attach to your collection bucket.

Start a mini-campaign!

Joint Council’s website has fun new pages that allow you to raise money for orphans around the world. With just a few clicks of your mouse and an email to your friends and family, you can help more children live in a safe, permanent and loving family! There’s even a ‘how to’ video that takes you through the process, step by step.

Alert the media!

Download and print our media kit (the seven files at the bottom of this page) and send it to your local newspaper and TV news stations. If adoption has touched your life, you can give the story a local angle by letting them know why making Change for Children is important to you.

Engage your adoption community!

If you have been touched by adoption, reach out to other adoptive famil ies you know and adoption agencies you have worked with. Invite them to join th e campaign and spread the word throughout theiradoption communities. Share the link to this page  and tell them what you’re doing to make Change for Children.

Go Social!

Post on Twitter, Facebook and blogs: “This Halloween, I’m making Change for Children with Joint Council!” Include a link to this page. Keep friends updated on your efforts for the campaign. Suggest they join in the campaign, too.

Just make a donation! Click here to make a secure, tax deductible donation to the Change for Childrencampaign.

We’re starting off small with a grassroots effort this year. And we expect it to grow next year and for many years after that. Be a part of Joint Council’s exciting new campaign so you can say you were among the first to make Change for Children!

Media Kit:

Poster 

Postcards 

Orphan Fact Sheet 

Cut Outs & Instructions 

 

Joint Council Introduction 

Let’s Make Change! 

Press Release 

April Showers will soon bring May Flowers and Futuro de los Ninos is “Going Green” the entire month of April at Semillas de Amor!

You can play a big role in turning this Green Dream into a reality!

The Children’s Village has made some AMAZING strides to sustain and live light on the land…. Composting! Recycling! Our chicken coop provides up to 50 fresh eggs daily and just look at the size of those cabbages!!!

The entire month of April, Futuro de los Ninos will be reaching out to our Amigos to help Semillas keep up the good work and expand their Green Living for the 30 children who are living and thriving at the Village.

There are so many exciting projects to contribute to!  We are going to start a worm farm to turn chicken poop into fertilizer, build a gravity water feed system that will allow fresh water to  pump to the children’s home without electricity, convert to LED lighting, and start a greenhouse that will grow fresh tomatoes for the kids to eat!

No donation is too small…and certainly, no donation is too big  All donations will go directly to Semillas de Amor to contribute to their Sustainability and Green Living!  All donations are 100% tax deductible!

You can pick the project!

Worm Fertilizer Project (1200 worms):  $480  (you can purchase 50 worms for $20)

Water Gravity Feed (200 gallons):  $5,000 (you can purchase a gallon of water for $25)

Green House (over 100 plants):  $3,500 (you can purchase a tomato plant for $35)

Solar Light Installation (6 lights):  $200 each light

LED Lights (throughout): $18 a light

Chicken Feed: $100 a month

Landscape supplies (riding mower, chainsaw, safety gear, garden supplies):  $5,000

So start shopping….you can buy one solar light and a tomato plant for $235 or 50 worms and a gallon of water for $45 or choose as you like!

Note in the “special instruction” section if you are making a specific purchase and we will make sure it goes toward the project of your choice.  You can also just apply your generous donation to “Green Living” and we will use it toward a project as needed.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in the children of Semillas de Amor and joining us in building them a brighter future!

1) Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!

2) Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s Affairs.  Send your photos and stories toadvocate@jointcouncil.org by Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included.  Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide.

3) Share…Please send this Call to Action to family members, other adoptive parents, and everyone you know!  Post, forward and share your adoption stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.  Make sure you include us in your posts so we can all hear your stories!  Here’s links to our pages: Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

4) Stay informed: Get up-to-date information regarding the situation in Ethiopia by signing up to receive information from us:  click here to do so, make sure you choose “country and issues specific information” and “Ethiopia.”  And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook,Twitter and our blog!

5) Help ensure our advocacy can continue: Joint Council is a non-profit and receives no government funding.  Please join us in ensuring more children live in safe, permanent and loving families.  Donate today!

February is a special month as we celebrate Valentine’s Day together with our loved ones, including our precious children.  For many of the families of Guatemala900, Valentine’s Day 2011 will be yet another day where that celebration is not possible due to the thousands of miles and uncertainty that separate us from the children we love.

Please visit www.guatemala900.org to see our daily Love Letters to the children we live for and long for with all of our hearts.

Happy Valentines Day!

You can transform a child’s life through love and sponsorship. For $200, $100, or $40 a month you can contribute to everything that is required to raise a child at Semillas de Amor Children’s Village!

Angels: $200 a month (full sponsorship)

Guardians: $100 a month (shared sponsorship)

Amigos: $40 a month (shared sponsorship)

Please go to our Child Sponsorship option on the menu bar for details.