To Give, with Love and Care

This is a great time of year to give--to give thanks for all we have, and to help others in need.

Bethany at Life with Bubba, Chicky & Nika had an awesome idea: she started the 12 Days of Giving Challenge.

I will be giving to others, whether it is in a big or small way, for at least the first two weeks of the month on a daily basis. (I may not write about every single thing here, but I will definitely mention some of the things we're doing as a family to give, and to give back.)

Tonight, we were talking about how we could advocate for Bridget and others with Down syndrome. I mentioned Reece's Rainbow and gathered everyone around the computer to view pictures of children waiting to be adopted and families who had already brought their children home.

There are so many worthy places to direct energy and money (and I plan on highlighting a few of those in the upcoming week), but here's one way to make a difference: donate money (even $10) to a child's grant fund to make it easier for that child to find his or her forever family.

The Gift of a Forever Home, from the Reece's Rainbow website:

Our Sponsorship Program provides a unique opportunity for anonymous donors to contribute to the adoption journey of our families. These children are viewed as outcasts with no ability to learn or be functional members of society. They languish in mental institutions, hidden away from the world in shame. Even if you are not able to adopt a child at this time, you truly can change the course of a child's life by helping adoptive families afford the costs of international adoption.

One time of visiting the Reece's Rainbow website, and I can't get these precious faces out of my mind. Is there a sibling here for Bridget, Emmy, Sara, Kyle & Brian?

As a family, we decided to donate for these children (each of whom has $0 in his or her grant fund):

These are just a few of the children who caught our eyes (each one of them reminds us of Bridget), but it is this little girl at the bottom who has completely stolen my heart (she is about 9 months younger than Bridget):

Alina

Born March 10, 2007
"The orphanage shaved all of their heads bald for the summer, but this beauty has dark hair and blue eyes. She needs a loving family to help her be the very best she can be! She is still quite young, but hasn't had a great photo yet. Hoping for her mama to see beyond these orphan pictures and envision her as the amazing, beautiful, able little girl that she is!"

I can so see her with us. I'd already stopped on her picture several times, and then I read this description. My heart just melted. It sounds like something I'd write about Bridget. With love and care, this little girl will thrive.

Anyone would be lucky to have any of these children. Even if you are not in a position to adopt, please consider donating to help bring them home.