Halloween in November
October 31st, 2006
Are you already dreading the sugar hangover on November 1st?
If you wake up on Wednesday with more candy than willpower, why not pack up that candy and donate it to someone who needs it?
Adopt-A-Chaplain is collecting all sorts of goodies to send to chaplains serving overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and they want to pass along your extra Halloween candy to give them a “Halloween in November.”
To donate your candy (or any of these other frequently-requested items), drop off your contribution at Calvary Church, Los Gatos or send your care package to Adopt-a-Chaplain at the following address:
Adopt-a-Chaplain, 2433 Le Bain Drive, San José, CA 95130-2115
To check out some of the heartwarming thank you notes from the sponsored chaplains, read on!
Trick or Treat for UNICEF
October 31st, 2006
No matter what your favorite Halloween candy might be, this year might be the perfect time to look for something more impactful than a temporary sugar high.
Why not Trick or Treat for UNICEF instead?
UNICEF—the United Nations Children’s Fund—is working in 156 countries to provide health care, clean water, nutrition and education to children and their families. And by Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF, you can help kids around the world too!
A single dollar can immunize a child against polio. Ten dollars can buy one month of biscuits for three kids. And $150 can provide clean water for an entire village.
How does it work? Take your UNICEF cannister door to door on Halloween. When your neighbor answers, ask for spare change! When you’re done, take your coins to the Coinstar machine and simply select the option to donate to UNICEF.
You can pick up a free UNICEF box at a Hallmark or Pier 1 store near you. Or you can download a cannister wrapper and make your own!
Trick or Treat!
Safe Trick or Treating
October 31st, 2006
Happy Halloween, everyone!
As your kids go out tonight to comb the neighborhood for the best (and the most!) Halloween candy, you might want to keep these safety tips in mind from the Halloween Safety Guide:
* Children should go out during daylight hours only unless accompanied by a responsible adult.
* Plan a safe route so parents know where their older kids will be at all times. Set a time for their return home. Make sure that your child is old enough and responsible enough to go out by themselves.
* Let your children know not to cut through back alleys and fields. Make sure they know to stay in populated places and don’t go off the beaten track. Stay in well lighted areas.
* Stop only at familiar houses in your own neighborhood unless they are accompanied by an adult.
* Small children should never be allowed to go out alone on Halloween. Make sure an older sibling or adult is with them.
* Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you.
* Instruct your child to never go into the home of a stranger or get into their car.
* Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.
* Let them know that they should stay together as a group if going out to Trick or Treat without an adult.
Shaky, Successful Vote in the DR Congo
October 30th, 2006
Here’s a spot of hope amidst the ongoing chaos of the Congo.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is counting the ballots from the first democratic election held in the last 40 years, in what is being called a “generally successful vote… marred by a handful of incidents.” Source
The election is hoped to quell some of the ongoing violence within the country that has killed over 4 million people, mostly from hunger and disease, and kills an estimated 1,200 more every day at the hands of armed militias and rebel groups.
Image Source
According to Reuters,
Millions of Congolese voted on Sunday in a presidential election they desperately hope will end decades of war, pillage and kleptocracy and open a new chapter of reconstruction in the mineral-rich but destitute nation.
International monitors and the United Nations reported that the run-off vote pitting incumbent President Joseph Kabila against former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba went smoothly except for a handful of incidents, including the death of two rioters.
Hopefully the election will bring about a peace that will allow the estimated 30,000 child soldiers that are still being held as victims of this horrible conflict to return home.
Global Dinners for World Vision
October 30th, 2006
Everyone loves to eat! Why not turn your next dinner party into an opportunity to make a difference?
World Vision can help you turn your next dinner party into a Global Dinners event!
With nearly 30,000 children dying each day, from mostly preventable causes, a Global Dinners event helps you to prepare and share traditional foods from countries around the world while introducing friends and family to the joys of child sponsorship.
The downloadable Country Recipe Sheets provide you with recipes and information to successfully host your dinner. Simply click on the region of your choice:
Africa
Asia
Latin America
Middle East/Eastern Europe
Once you’ve decided on a country, you prepare the food according to the recipes provided, order the sponsorship materials and then invite your guests! World Vision will do the rest.
The approaching holiday season reminds us just how much we have. Why not share some of what you have with someone who needs your help?