Oh Goody - Gifts!

My sister sent me an email the other day asking what I wanted for Christmas. My first thought was ‘oh goody gifts!’ and I rubbed my hands together in anticipation of…. Well I couldn’t think of what. I thought about DVDs but I can get those here, and online, for much cheaper than buying and mailing them. Then I thought of clothes (coz Carolyn has great taste) but then I couldn’t think of what in particular I needed. Since I move a lot, I really don’t need any more stuff to lug around. So I emailed my kind sister back a little sheepishly - I wrote, “why don’t you just make a donation to Emmanuel Center instead of buying me a gift.”

So if you’re like me and tired of buying and getting stuff, why not give to Emmanuel Center. We have even come up with Creative Christmas Cards, so you can truely share the joy of Christmas with the children at Emmanuel Center, and with your family and friends.

Here is how it works:
Pick a Christmas gift item from the list bellow. Donate the amount online and email lkell@sd48.bc.ca (my darling mother) who will mail you the card. You get a lovely card to give as a unique gift and the children at Emmanuel Center get something they need. You can also just give online in the name of a friend or family member. Any questions just email mom (lkell@sd48.bc.ca)!

Here are your gift card options:

Full of Beans - Beans are a staple component of the diet at Emmanuel Center. A gift of $75 will keep the children full of energy for a full month.

The Long Walk to School - School shoes cost about $15, and with 40 growing boys Emmanuel Center is always needing to replace somebody's shoes –the kids can't go to school without them.

Give Education - Secondary school isn't free in Kenya. In fact tuition fees are about $400. Therefore it isn't surprising that most kids miss out on a secondary education.

Got Your Goat? - For $40 there is nothing the kids at the center like more than having a goat to roast. In fact it's a Christmas tradition to slaughter a goat. Don't feel bad for the goat, celebrate with the kids who rarely enjoy meat and love using every part of the goat… the head makes soup… the hide makes drums… and you don't want to know what they do with the eyeballs.

Food in the Belly - It costs only $1000 to feed all 40 kids each month! That might not seem a lot compared to the typical grocery bill in a North American family, but it adds up at Emmanuel Center. So please consider feeding the whole center for a month through a generous donation.

Fun'n Games - The kids at Emmanuel Center literally wear out soccer balls –they play with them until the leather cracks and the stitching dissolves.Donations of $20 to our recreation fund replace soccer balls, buy other recreation equipment and even allow the boys to go on field trips hiking and camping.

Thank you to everyone who has given in 2008 - you helped educate 40 former street kids, gave them a home when they had no where else to go, and ensured they had a healthy, happy year!