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Monday, March 03, 2008

Weekly Goal #8 and Support for Ethica

Please consider donating to this very good cause. Your help would be greatly appreciated. I got the following message from Voices for Vietnam Adoption Integrity

Ethica, Inc. has received troubling reports of severe, cold weather in northern Vietnam that has taken a toll on orphanages in Hanoi, Bac Giang, Hay Tay, and Bac Ninh provinces. We understand 3 children have died in the past week and 10 more less than a year old have been hospitalized. In the past two months, 9 of 19 infected infants have died.

Government officials at the National Fund for Vietnamese Children are concerned that many more children will be vulnerable to a virulent form of rhinovirus that has in some cases, progressed to pneumonia. This fatal for institutionalized infants and children already vulnerable to illness. The officials have met and given Ethica’s representative in Hanoi permission to secure and deliver much needed blankets, heaters, warm clothing, and formula on March 7th and 8th. We estimate that $9,350 USD will be needed for this emergency relief fund which will assist 469 children under 16 years old and 152 babies from 1-7 months old.

We only have 3 DAYS TO FUNDRAISE.

Currently, Ethica’s involvement in Vietnam has been to evaluate irregularities in international adoption processes and advocate for ethical and transparent adoption policies and practices. As our mission is to assist all adoption community members, we are providing short term emergency care as we determine long term policy objectives.

Our hope is that in a month’s time, we will be able to transition the children’s needs to more permanent funders through a coalition of local and international NGOs.

You can make a difference in the lives of the children we serve by making a 501-C-3 tax deductible gift to Ethica, Inc. We cannot help these children without your contributions.

$30 donation will provide an infant with formula for one month.
$300 donation will buy 100 baby blankets.
$300 donation will buy 100 warm baby outfits.
$500 donation will buy 100 warm children’s outfits.
$600 donation will buy 100 children’s blankets.
We are currently awaiting estimates for heaters, medicines, and delivery costs.

To donate please visit this link and follow up with a note to info@ethicanet.org that your donation is to go towards the Blankets for Babies Fund.

http://www.ethicanet.org/item.php?recordid=donations&pagestyle=default

Additional information on this effort with notes, updates, and photos of each orphanage will be posted at www.ethicanet.org and our blog http://ethica.ning.com/ . We are seeking graphic and web savvy volunteers to assist us in creating a blog button and page for this fund. Please contact Linh at lsong@ethicanet.org for more details. Thank you.

I really believe that we can make a difference by donating to this cause.

My personal goal of the week is to not lose my patience with Lucy during her meal time. I try time and time again to come to peace with her birdlike eating, but it drives me crazy when she throws or swats almost everything I offer her. I just want her to eat. I worry so much about the nutrition that she is getting and I end up frustrated when she refuses almost everything at every meal. I try and think about the fact that she is clearly healthy and getting enough to grow, but it still worries me. I am having a hard time thinking of things to feed her, since most of my efforts are rejected. My other goal is to read the book Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce. I started it a couple of weeks ago, but have made basically no progress. I just have had no urge to read. I want to get motivated to read this book again.

I can't believe I don't have any pictures. It was really cold today, so we have been locked up inside all day. We actually got snow tonight, which is very rare for us. Of course, none is sticking, but it is still fun to see.

11 comments:

Sharon said...

Worthy post, but I think it's illegal to make a post and not have pictures!!! : )

Jenny said...

what have you tried. I have a few suggestions for food if you want them. My girls eat alot but they throw food constantly.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the food thing! And I love the concept of the Blankets for Babies!

Jen said...

Kelly,

There is a great book that you can read called "Feeding Children with love and Kindness" by Ellen Satter(I think that is her last name--but you can do a title search). It will help get you through the ups and downs of meal time with a picky toddler.

Looking at Lucy, it is obvious that she is well nourished and thriving! You are doing the right thing to offer the food and let her decide. She may just be a snacker...taking a little in throughout the day.

Thanks for the links to donate blankets. My heart goes out to those little ones in northern VN. Hubby and I would love to help.

Kate said...

Thanks for sharing the fundraiser, that's wonderful!

I'm sure you've tried everything with your daughter's meals, but I used to hide the most random foods in Luci's two favorite foods, mashed potatoes and yogurt. Meats, fruits, cereals, you name it! It worked and she never knew the wiser. There's a fun book out right now written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife called "Deceptively Delicious". Lots of fun recipes. Aside from all that, if she's growing and thriving, she'll be just fine!

Anonymous said...

I wish I could offer some advice with the food thing, but we have the exact opposite problem. Like everyone said, she's thriving and you're doing everything you can. You owe us extra photos next time! :)

Cinnamon said...

I know eating seems to be such an issue from other friends of mine. The only thing I have heard is "hiding" veggies and what not in food she will eat. She does look good though. Thanks for the post, this is so sad. I'm so thankful for Ethica.

mam said...

Oh, I think I have to emulate that goal too. Lucy2eventually eats enough, but meal times are full of throwing/swatting away food for us, too. Annoying.

stollmyheart said...

I'll send you some snow if you want it! I easily have three feet in my front yard still!

Anonymous said...

snow?! Wow. That's nuts.

I can offer nothing by way of food advice except the book Jen recommended sounds awesome. I should get it myself.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kelly-

I first wanted to say that you have an absolute beautiful daughter!

I have been following your blog for a while and wanted to finally formally introduce myself. Now that we have just received our referral I hope to become much more active in the blog world with other adoptive parents.

You can find more info about us and our story at www.thurmans.citymaker.com

Thanks for all your great postings... looking forward to getting to know you and others.
---Emily