Archive for July, 2009

It was fun while it lasted…

July 30, 2009 at 9:26 pm · Filed under Fundraising Opportunities, Shopping

EORblog2 I’m sorry to say that after August 14, 2009, Ethiopian Orphan Relief, Inc. will no longer maintain an online store.  We will continue to sell items at our events, and we’ll occasionally sell items through our blog or web site, but our online store will close in two weeks.

As much as we’ve enjoyed raising funds for Ethiopia’s orphans through the sale of Ethiopian items and quality products from independent vendors, it’s been difficult to find a reliable stream of inventory  and the cost of maintaining the store was much greater than we anticipated.  EOR will continue to offer opportunities to make donations which honor birthdays or other special occasions (with thank you card sent promptly to the recipient of the gift) and we’ll periodically sell items like Shop for a Cause coupons or calendars and note cards through our blog.

Thanks so much for your orders (and your patience as we worked out glitches) over the past year.  There are a few more weeks to order remaining items in our store, including many of the terrific items offered by our independent vendors.

The store was a great first year fund raiser for Ethiopian Orphan Relief, Inc.  We couldn’t have done it without you!

Ameseginalehu,

Paige

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there’s still time!

July 28, 2009 at 1:38 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

It’s that time of year….Ethiopian Orphan Relief  is accepting children’s art submissions for our 2009 art contest. We have partnered with Paper Rabbit Designs of Portland, Oregon to print our notecards. Barbra at Paper Rabbit Designs has once again graciously given EOR a discount on printing and design layout! The submissions for the 2008 series were turned into 3 beautiful sets of note cards (sold in the EOR online store and at our events), framed and matted for sale at Art for Ethiopia in Denver and used as decor at our Lights of Hope auction in Portland.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1. Art must be original artwork created by children adopted from Ethiopia.

2. Contest is open to all ages.

3. All submissions must include a bio of the artist-child (ie…Johnny is 2 years old and was adopted from Ethiopia in 2008. He      enjoys running, playing music and dancing…).

4. All submissions become property of Ethiopian Orphan Relief and will not be returned.

5. Mail submissions and bios to: Kim Pasion, 3020 SW Christy Ave. Beaverton, OR 97005. Deadline is Monday, August 3rd, 2009.

The EOR board of directors will be choosing the finalists. We will have two top winners, boy and girl who will receive a EOR tee-shirt!

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If you have a blog, or belong to a regional ethiopian adoption group, we would welcome additional press about this event.  Please feel free to link this to your blog,  or send a message to your yahoo group(s).

We’ve received many terrific submissions, but would  love to see some more.  Anything postmarked in the next 2 days should arrive in Oregon on time.

Paige

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Benefit at the Park

July 27, 2009 at 1:05 am · Filed under Current Events, Family, Food, Oregon, Toukoul/SOS EE

At EOR we are always honored when a group, birthday party, wedding, and many more want to help EOR with our projects! This fall in beautiful Portland, Oregon Jenny P. an adoptive mom to a beautiful little girl is making a difference! Along with her sister in law who is also named Jeni they are putting on “Benefit at the Park.” The proceeds  from the event will go to EOR’s Toukoul projects and also Westside Food Brigade. Toukoul is close to Jenny P. heart as her one year old daughter is from Toukoul.

The event will take place at Camp Rivendale, September 12th from 12-4 pm! Join them for food, games and great prizes! To purchase your tickets for the event please visit www.heartshandsloyalty.blogspot.com

Thanks Jenny & Jeni for helping EOR!! Looking forward to seeing you in September!

amelie

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Art For Ethiopia 2009 Update

July 22, 2009 at 3:13 am · Filed under Art For Ethiopia, Current Events

It’s that time of year again– time to plan the second annual Ethiopian Orphan Relief  Art for Ethiopia art sale and auction. We had a wildly successful event last year, raising over $12,000 to benefit Children’s Heaven’s new facility fund. We just had our first planning meeting for the event which will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at Flash Gallery in Lakewood, Colorado. This year, we plan to create a fancier event for adults without kids in tow and will hold the children &  family photo shoots by Greg Cradick earlier in the day. Spaces will fill up quickly for the photo shoots (all proceeds will benefit EOR), so people will need to sign up before the event for them. We are so grateful to have a wonderful planning committee this year which includes Greg Cradick (co-chair with me), Danielle Marquis (EOR prez), Shawn Rodda, Tracy Stevens, Emily Andronicci (Lauren’s sister), & Katy Bell (awesome new Board member and one of my personal heroines). We also hope to have a host of volunteers to help both before and during the event.
This year we plan to solicit art from regionally as well as nationally recognized artists. Tune in later for more details about that. We will also be selling tickets for this year’s event which will feature fine art, heavy hors d’oevres, drinks, music and a chance to dress up and wear those high heels that are buried in your closet (or in my case, a chance to purchase a pair of high heels since I gave away my only pair already). For now, save the date and let us know if you’d like to help as a volunteer or if you have any fabulous art to donate!  We are all looking forward to it!

Cheers,

Jane

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Welcome, Katie!

July 15, 2009 at 5:37 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Please join me in welcoming super-mom to 6 (3 from Ethiopia), Katie Bell to our EOR Board of Directors! Katie has been a standout volunteer from the beginning, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have her join our Board of Directors. Katie will be in charge of grants. Welcome, Katie!

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EOR & Engineers Without Borders

July 15, 2009 at 5:35 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

We are thrilled to announce that Ethiopian Orphan Relief has partnered with the Union College chapter of Engineers Without Borders to build a well in Boru, Ethiopia (a small village outside of Dessie)! An Ethiopian student at Union chose the project as her senior project, and it will be completed in December 2009. Stay tuned for more information regarding a fundraising event to raise the money for this important project that will impact the lives of orphaned children for years to come!

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Dreamers Into Doers

July 7, 2009 at 11:07 pm · Filed under Board of Directors, Businesses that give back, The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword

Swinging

Over a rainy weekend two years ago, my husband put together a playground for our 1 year old daughter, Amelie. We adopted her from Ethiopia a couple months prior—she was our first child and after the painful wait to bring her home, we wanted to spoil her. When he was done, the sun came out, and she was squealing so loud—it was her first time in a swing. I was feeling pretty awesome about our little family, when my husband interrupted my virtual back patting…

 They didn’t have a playground at the orphanage, you know. We could have used the money we spent on this to buy them one. We could have made 300 kids as happy as she is right now.

Five months later, after much thinking, reading and talking with family & friends, I formed Ethiopian Orphan Relief, Inc.,  a non-profit that gifts completed projects to improve the lives of Ethiopian orphans. In just 1.5 years, we’ve raised nearly $100,000 and have several projects underway—two playgrounds, equipment for an HIV clinic & lab and a community center where orphaned teenaged girls will learn job and life skills.

 All of this has been accomplished by a group of adoptive moms volunteering their time—many of our children shared a room at the same orphanage. Now, when I see my children enjoying their playground, I am able to enjoy it—and picture the children in Ethiopia doing the same.

-Danielle

This essay was entered into Martha Stewart’s “Dreamers Into Doers” contest. The winner receives $10,000 toward their venture. Judging begins today-wish us luck.

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Day of the African Child-Recap

July 6, 2009 at 2:03 am · Filed under Board of Directors, Do Something!, Oregon

Last Saturday Ethiopian Orphan Relief volunteers and board members had a booth at The Day of the African Child in Portland, Oregon. We listened to amazing music, ate yummy African food and spoke to many people about EOR. There was wonderful African clothing, books, textiles and jewelry for sale. I purchased a beautiful beaded necklace made at a women’s cooperative in Kenya.
The International Day of the African Child has been celebrated on 16 June every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity. It honors those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day. Ten thousand black school children marched in a column more than half a mile long, protesting the poor quality of their education and demanding their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young students were shot. More than a hundred people were killed in the protests of the following two weeks, and more than a thousand were injured. This uprising was the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa.
I was only 6 years old in 1976….. I was proud to be at this event and felt my heart ache when I envisioned the strength and perseverance of those students. The event was a huge success and EOR will certainly be a part of the celebration next year.
         Lauren

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