We are 5 days away until the last day card delivery sign ups are available!  I can’t believe Cards For A Cause started almost a month ago– it seems like yesterday I was drafting my first email to introduce this project to everyone I could get a hold of =)!

Here is an update on where we are currently at:

Which means 125 days left to be sponsored and 5 days left to secure those meals!

You might be wondering how come 138 cards are going to be sent but 240 days of meals are secured?  Isn’t 1 card equal to 1 day?   Yes it is, but we were able to get the most out of the funds because some folks sent checks or gave cash to avoid PayPal fees, some supporters donated but did not sign up for any card deliveries, and others donated more than the number of cards they wanted.

I am so elated and touched by how supportive everyone has been with this fundraiser, whether you are an old friend or new, heard of it through word of mouth or happened to see it on Pinterest!  This is the most funds I have ever raised and I am super excited!

Whether or not the 365 day goal is reached (I hope that it will!) this fundraiser is already a success in so many ways!

First and foremost we are able to provide nutritious meals for the children at The Ebongalethu Educare Center in Motherwell, South Africa.  The “South African Child Gauge 2012” states, “…in the first 1000 days of a child’s life, there is a never-repeated window to fulfill a child’s physical and psychological needs, through nutrition and stimulation, in a way that can have lasting consequences if these needs are unmet. It has been found that investment into early childhood development can do more than practically anything else to alleviate poverty”.

This meal you are feeding them is not just a bowl of porridge for a day, it is a chance at a healthier life,  it is a sense of well-being, it is the knowledge that they are cared for and loved, it is the start they need to become the citizens who will help to end the poverty they were born into– for themselves, for their families, for their communities.  It is the beginning of healthy bodies and minds, ready to learn and grow!

There are many things in life we cannot control or choose, that are predetermined before we even enter this world:  what type of life we will be born into, whether we are born with both parents alive and well, or whether we are born in a time of peace or a time of war.  These babies and toddlers do not have a choice yet of what kind of life they can and will lead, but if we can help their lives develop in a positive way, then I believe we have been successful.

I truly love this project and all aspects of it–making the cards, writing messages that are filled with love, thought, and/or humor, addressing every envelope, talking to the donors, imaging the reactions of the recipients– but most of all, I love the sense of community and connection it represents.  From the card maker, to the card sender, to the card recipient and everyone in between, it couldn’t have happened if those dots had not been connected.

I love that we are able to represent how one person can make a difference without a huge budget or having it be time consuming– all it takes is sending a simple card.

I love that together with all the cards and donations, we have found a way to give to each other and give to others in this world– even though they are oceans away.

I love that we are able to fill many tiny tummies with warm and nutritious meals– and they can spend the rest of their day being kids, laughing, playing, learning, and growing.

I feel like we have been able to create a start, a nudge in the right direction, a swing to start the momentum going for positive change in the world– with endless possibilities!

Thank you for being a part of Cards For A Cause!

Let’s end Cards For A Cause: The Valentine’s Day Edition with a bang– keep on spreading the word, tweeting, pinning, sharing, and I hope to see you at the trunk show!