Off with the Old and on with the New

Well it’s that time again, the end of one year and the start of another. Just where does the time go??!!

What did you do this last year? And what do you plan to do different in 2015? We always start the New Year with such gusto and nine times out of ten our new found plans go awry within the first week of the year!

Me? Well this last year I worked really hard trying to raise the profile of CID, raise more funds etc, so hard that I nearly lost my way. So in 2015 I plan to not work harder but to work smarter. Working smarter should give me more time to do the things I want to do, like spending quality time with my beautiful grandchildren, spend more time in my garden, read more, create things; all the things that seem to fall by the wayside when you make yourself too busy simply “doing”!

The New Year is also a time for reflection. I look back on the years I’ve been involved with CID; so many happy memories mixed with some very sad ones. This year we said goodbye to our beloved Mr Popa, driver and unofficial ‘Grandad’ to the children at St Margaret’s for many years; arriving at Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest simply isn’t the same any more when he isn’t there to greet you! I hope he has a very long and happy retirement. 

Mr Popa's last Supporters' Tour
 

Then there are the happy memories; Marian from St Margaret’s being adopted – every child deserves a loving family and this gorgeous little boy has now got one.

Marian with his new parents

 

The joy on a child’s face when he receives his ‘Love in a Box’ and finds a toothbrush in it!!  Never mind the toy cars, crayons etc, he just LOVES receiving a toothbrush that is just for him. J

The joy of a new toothbrush!

The happy memories far outweigh the sad ones; I would need to write a book to detail them all! YOU have been instrumental in making these happy moments and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart and pray that you will continue to support our work through 2015 and beyond.  HAPPY NEW YEAR AND THANK YOU!

 

Jane x

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want Something Doing? Ask A Busy Person!

Almost eight years ago, I worked for a pharmaceutical consultancy as a PA, loved my job and was well paid but at the same time was heavily involved with Children in Distress.  Then an opportunity arose for me to work for the charity part time (I’m contracted to work 21 hours per week) and, as I was nearing retirement age (I was almost 56 at the time) I thought it would be the perfect end to my working life to work from home “part time” and raise money to help look after the kids I had come to love so dearly.

Eight years on I am convinced I must have had a very “senior moment” to have thought it would be ideal to work from home – my house now resembles some kind of refugee warehouse, I get phone calls just as I’ve settled down to try and watch my favourite programme on TV (these supporters wouldn’t ring the office at this time of night because no-one would be there but they know that I will be!), I work much, much more than my allotted 21 hours per week, I haven’t had time to take any holiday leave for over two years, my “retired” husband has now become an unpaid “gopher” for the charity and we both LOVE IT!!  There, you thought I was having a huge moan didn’t you??!!  I guess I probably was in a way because here we are, two weeks before Christmas and this is what my lounge and kitchen looks like at present………………………………….

 

My "kitchen"

My "lounge"

 

but all these bags and boxes are full of beautifully knit blankets, jumpers, cardigans, hats, scarves, gloves and toys for the children in Romania so it is all worth it.  However, I now have all these to pack so that I can regain my home in time for Christmas………………….oh and I haven’t finished my Christmas shopping, haven’t done the baking and when I finally get round to buying the rest of the presents, they will need wrapping and as useful as my husband Pete is, he is lousy at wrapping presents so I’m on my own for that one!!  So if you want something done, ask a busy person (and I can guarantee that it WILL get done – might be last minute but it will be done!).

 

These are what makes it all worthwhile…………….

Some of our children at St Margaret's in Bucharest enjoying a visit from supporters

Maria, Nicoleta, Cristina and Rafi - four of our beautiful children from St Margaret's in Bucharest

 

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year, thank you for reading this and for all of your support throughout 2014.

 

Jane x

Live Like Someone Left the Gate Open

You know how it is……………..it’s almost time to turn in for the night and you think “I’ll just check Facebook and see what’s happening before I go to bed”.  Well, that’s exactly what I did tonight and saw this on a friend’s timeline (thanks Kath!)

 

and it got me to thinking that that is exactly what some of the children in our care do on a daily basis; the likes of Rafi, Darius, Maria to mention but three of our lovely children.  All three children have a myriad of illnesses and all three are happy smiling children.  Rafi, as anyone who knows him will know, chases around like he is on fire yet he is, in fact, a poorly little boy. But he does indeed ‘Live like someone left the gate open’.  Darius, now confined to a wheelchair because of his illness, smiles constantly, is interested in all that goes on around him, can speak a few words of English (he is only 4!) and in fact when I last saw him, I wanted to take a photo of him and he cheekily smiled at me and said ‘Cheese’! ..................his sense of humour certainly hasn’t left him even though the use of his legs has, indeed, left him.  Maria, who came to us as a very poorly little baby and is now becoming a very confident little lady who attends school along with Rafi and older “brother” Florin. 

These children are a lesson on how to ‘live like someone left the gate open’.

We all have times in our lives when things don’t happen just how we want them to happen or we don’t feel as well as we would like to feel and then we begin to feel sorry for ourselves.  It is at these times that we should learn from the children and pick ourselves up and truly learn to ‘live like someone left the gate open’.  Life is, sadly, too short to do otherwise.

You could start to change your life by sponsoring one of our children and keep up to date with how they are doing.  Contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk if you are interested in learning more about our children……………………..trust me, you will be making a huge step, not only in your own life but in the children’s as well.  Once you ‘meet’ the children your life will take on a whole new meaning; that I can assure you from my own experience.

Jane x

 

 

Love in a Box

What does a shoebox mean to you? Literally a box to keep your shoes in?  A box that comes with your new pair of shoes and then you discard it?

To an impoverished Romanian child receiving a shoebox at Christmas can mean everything! 

Each year, Children in Distress run their ‘Shoebox Appeal’ or, as it is commonly known, ‘Love in a Box Appeal’.  The charity asks its supporters to wrap a shoebox in bright, colourful Christmas paper and fill it with a variety of items which can include small gifts, sweets (but not milk chocolate), soap/flannel, toothbrush/paste, brush/comb, toiletries, gloves/scarf/hat, socks/tights, hair slides, small toys, small teddy bear, notebook, pens/pencils, felt pens, colouring book/crayons, puzzle/ball/yoyo/toy cars, balloons and a Christmas card.  We also ask that £2 accompanies each box to help transport the boxes to Romania.

If, like me, you are fortunate to have children and grandchildren, you are no doubt aghast at the amount of presents bestowed on children at Christmastime.  To a child in the Balkans, the gaily wrapped shoebox with its contents is more than likely the only present that child will receive for Christmas.  It is not that the parents don’t want to give their children lovely presents, it is, quite simply, that they cannot afford to do so and put food on the table so the food (quite naturally!) wins every time.  Last year some 7,000 Christmas shoeboxes were taken to Romania by Children in Distress and personally handed out by our very own Mos Craicun (Father Christmas) in churches, community centres, hospitals and schools.

Our ‘Love in a Box Appeal’ is now in full swing and, with your help, we look forward to sharing our Christmas joy with babies, children and OAPs once more in December.  If you would like to make up a Christmas shoebox for our appeal, please contact me either by email or phone to join in the fun – email janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk or phone 01751 432089 / 07775 695611 for more details. J

 

The above photos show recipients of last year's appeal and also the lorry being loaded with the boxes

Jane x

One Child at a Time

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of daily life we need to be reminded of why we do what we do so I thought I would introduce you to our work “One child at a time" to remind you of why we continue in our quest to care for “Europe’s Forgotten Children”.

Everyone who visits St Margaret’s in Bucharest cannot help but to leave with one little boy having left a huge impression on them; Rafi!  Rafael, age 4 is a human whirlwind, he bombs about the courtyard in St Margaret’s on his tricycle, is inquisitive about everything and everyone and is always hungry!  For me, I know I have arrived in Romania when I open the gates to St Margaret’s and Rafi charges down the courtyard shouting “Mama” and launches himself at me. J

Rafi was born with a cleft palate (now repaired) and also suffers with Sticklers Syndrome and one of the indicators has been recurrent problems with both eyes. Whilst at St Margaret’s he has had operations to deal with the pressure building up as result of glaucoma, the removal of a fast growing cataract and operations to repair a detached retina in his left eye. Recently he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C (hepatitis means “inflammation of the liver”); just another “bump” in Rafi’s road. 

Despite all his problems, Rafi is a very happy and loving little boy.  He recently visited the Park with his friends from St Margaret’s and encountered a duck for the first time – you will see from the photo that he was a little unsure of it.  He also loves to help Tante Voica, our much loved cook at St Margaret’s, to sort the fruit to go in the juicer; his favourite is oranges.

On a recent supporters’ tour visit to St Margaret’s, Rafi had to be held at bay by Laurentiu, one of our drivers, lest he cleared the table of food prepared for the visitors!

In this post I have introduced you to only one of the children in our care; in future posts I will introduce to you to more; Rafi is only one of twenty children living in the care of Children in Distress at St Margaret’s, Bucharest.  They live a happy and safe life thanks to our wonderful supporters and love and care of our dedicated staff.  If you would like to sponsor one of our children or make a regular monthly donation to our work, please contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk to discuss.

Jane x

Rafi "helping" sort fruit for the juicer

Rafi being "held at bay" during a recent supporters' tour by Laurentiu

Riding his tricycle before going to school recently

Meeting a duck at the local park for the first time!

 

 

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