Mein Verlangen

Lucky me! Last night, my mom took the kids out for a movie, so Albert and I had a date night, capitol city-style. A delicious gluten free dinner was a given, but we weren’t sure what we’d do for entertainment. Movies are always nice, but we were hoping for something a little swankier.

A search through the DC weekender turned up a Bach concert in Chinatown. Much cheaper than some of the other performances scheduled last night, it was also early enough for my sleepy-after-9pm-hubby :). A benefit performance, it was free, although donations were requested.

The music was incredible, but the benefit even more so. 13 years ago, an 8th grade girl created a Girl Scout service project to bring school supplies to girls in El Salvador. Encouraged to do more than send some pencils and paper by her minister and his wife, Laura initiated the Shalom Scholarship Fund. In the first year, with the help of various fellowships within her church, Laura raised more than 1500.00. This year, through a variety of projects, including the benefit concert, the Shalom Scholarship Fund hopes to raise $10,000–enough to send each of the sponsored students to university.

It was amazing to see a simple Girl Scout project blossom into a life’s calling. Laura wasn’t at the concert, but her mother, who spoke about the scholarship fund, was, and she spoke at length about her daughter’s commitment to the fund.

As the music washed over me, I thought about all of the people who have found a life’s work in Ethiopia, and in all of the people who will find ways to give in the future. Who knows where a Bar Mitzvah project or a Key Club fundraiser will lead? Do YOU have a fundraising opportunity waiting for you?

The concert last night was a powerful one. The music a lovely springboard to a fountain of ideas about giving.

Paige

Wird der Seele reiner Schein
Dennoch gleich den Engeln prangen

Mitzvah Project to Benefit EOR

Fourteen year old Leah from Colorado Springs, CO began a Mitzvah Project in the 7th grade to help the children of Ethiopia.  Her project was a penny drive, and her goal was to raise one penny for every orphan in Ethiopia (4.6 million). To date, Leah has raised 298,955 pennies.

Leah personally delivered the first batch of money raised (a little over $2,000) to Ethiopia when she travelled there with her family to pick up her new sister Fre in November 2007. The money was used to build a playground at The Hope for the Abandoned Children and Orphan Care Association, where her sister was residing. She also purchased furniture and basic supplies for the orphanage. Since returning from Ethiopia, Leah has been using donations to sponsor children to attend school from the Sele Enat Orphanage in Addis Ababa.

Leah has recently decided to use her current donation balance to help EOR construct the facility for the orphaned teenaged girls supported by Children’s Heaven. She has pledged to commit any further donations to EOR’s programs as well.

Thank you so much, Leah! Your support is amazing and the girls from Children’s Heaven will be so thrilled to know another teenager is doing so much to help them out!