Vision

Have you heard that old saying 'without vision the people perish'?  Never has that saying become more true than it is in these times and I know it's true because I've seen it with my own eyes and I have seen how people come alive when they begin to take hold of their vision. 

You see, there is more to life, and it lies in your vision.  CID has a vision and 3-4 times a year we publish our magazine called Vision.  Why is it called Vision?  Because as a charity we have a vision of what we would like to see happen with our projects in Romania, what we would like to achieve and each Vision magazine tells the story of what we are achieving and, more importantly, how we are achieving it.

Your vision is what you create because of the things you do. So, in our appeals to you we tempt you with our vision of what we would like to achieve; it then becomes your vision and we then share the same goal.  So, our vision of the world as it should be is created out of your efforts and your achievements.  We couldn’t look after the number of children we do without you sharing our vision

In a moment of spontaneity, it may seem, and actually be, exciting to simply wade into something without giving due thought to your vision and set off to wherever the roads may take you - to go on an adventure into the unknown with no clue where you are headed.  But, if you live your whole life that way, or, in our case, if we steer our organisation that way, the result will always be unfulfilled potential.

And that's why vision is so important - because it gives direction and purpose to your adventure into life;  it gives you a point of focus that, whichever way that mystery and adventure towards your vision may lead you, keeps you on track.

There is more to life, and you were meant to live life in all its fullness and we believe that the children in our care were also meant to live life in all its fullness which is why, as we enter our 25^th anniversary, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing our vision.

Next Sunday I will travel to Romania with a party of supporters who will see at firsthand  what  our joint vision has achieved.

 

Jane x

5 ways to give up your own time to help a charity

There seems to be an assumption that the only way that people can help a charitable cause is by donating money. While charities (including CID) are almost always in need of extra cash, there are still ways that you can help without spending any money and still benefit a charity.

1.    Volunteer your time at a charity shop.  Charity shops are always looking for volunteers who can spare an hour or two each week to help with sorting donations, ironing clothes, dusting the shelves or manning the till.  All we ask is that you are honest, trustworthy and above all, reliable (so we can count on you coming in at the agreed time each week).

2.    Do you have a skill?  Perhaps you like some kind of craft (e.g. knit, sew, crochet, baking, wood turning, gardening etc)?  You could make some items to sell on behalf of your chosen charity.  If you are “into” crafts I’m sure you will have spare materials that you could utilise for a charity and either sell them on yourself or pass them to a charity for one of their events to sell.  If you are green fingered, you could pot up a few extra plants to sell. Into baking?  Make some cakes, buns, scones or similar when your charity is holding a fundraiser. Got a glut of fruit or vegetables in your garden? Make them into jam and chutney to sell and raise much needed funds.  The possibilities are endless!

3.    Give as you Live is an online shopping portal, and their aim is to turn web shopping into cash for charities. When you buy something from a store by going through their portal, a percentage of the money you’ve spent goes to Give as you Live, who then pass on the money to the cause of your choice, less a percentage commission. This means that you can buy all your Christmas presents (yes, it's coming to that time of year) without leaving the house, and do your bit for charity at the same time.

4.    Got goods you no longer need or use at home?  Why not sell them on EBay and donate the money (or a percentage of it) to your favourite charity?  Just about anything can be bought or sold on EBay (that old adage “your rubbish is someone else’s treasure” certainly becomes true on this website!).  If your chosen charity trades on EBay you can specify that a percentage of your sale goes to the charity when listing your items so it is deducted automatically when the item sells and your charity benefits as well. CID trade on EBay and the user’s name is CIDJane (just in case you’re inspired by this blog and decide to upload some items for sale!) J

5.    Do you like keeping fit? Run? Swim? Walk?  Why not get some like minded friends together and organise a sponsored Marathon (or maybe 5K, 10K or half marathon!) / Swimathon / Sponsored walk? Organising an event like this keeps you in focus for your training schedule and making it a sponsored event helps us to look after the children in our care.  Last year Rob Russell, a supporter of CID did FOUR marathons in a day to help raise funds and raised a magnificent £2,500!

These are just a few ideas to whet your appetite……………….I’m sure you can think of some more!

 

Jane x