OWI Fundraisers

Dear Friends and Supporters of OWI:

 

We are excited to see what blessings and challenges the New Year will bring as the Ordinary Women, Inc. Orphan Program begins its fourth year of operation.  As you know, fundraising for the Orphan Program is an ongoing necessity and the contributions of our individual donors are the prime support that enables the Orphan Program in Kenya to operate.   With this in mind, we hope you will join us for the following fundraising opportunities that have been made available to us:

 

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)

We have been invited by TBN to be part of the studio audience at upcoming TBN live studio taping sessions in Costa Mesa, CA.  The studio tapings are on Thursday evenings February 17^th and March 17^th.  Each person that sits in the audience as part of the Ordinary Women, Inc. group earns OWI $20 which is paid by TBN.  There is no cost to you to attend the taping - just sit back, enjoy the experience and be blessed.  

 

If you think you might be interested in attending the TBN tapings, have questions about the evening, or would like more information regarding the subjects of these tapings, please reply to this email. 

 

ORDINARY WOMEN, INC.

Judy McCoy

(949) 233-5340

 

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OWI Kenya Update, December 2010

Hello Friends and Family of OWI (Ordinary Women, Inc.),

 

As we reflect upon this Christmas season and all we have to be thankful for, I can't help but thank God for the OWI Orphan Program (OP) in Kenya.  Even though most of us live across the globe from this program, your sponsorships and prayers are making a difference in these precious orphans' lives.

 

I want to write this month about a fourteen year old girl named Risper.  Risper started in the OP at the beginning of the program in January, 2008.  She is HIV+.  She contracted HIV/AIDS from her mother who died from it.  Risper's mother contracted the disease from Risper's father who was a refugee from the Congo.  He returned to the Congo, and they don't know if he is alive today.  

 

Through our program, family members agreed to take Risper into their home.  Risper had not been getting medication at all for HIV/AIDS before the OP.  After being placed in the OP, she started going into Kitale (about a twenty five minute bus ride from Kiminini) to a treatment center to receive free medication from the government.  However, because of the stigma in Kenya of HIV and the lack of education on how the illness is contracted, the guardian family was treating Risper like an outcast.  She wasn't allowed to play or be around the other children in the home for fear that she would give them the illness.  And Risper continually got sick because the family didn't give her the medications as prescribed.  So, after attempted trainings with the guardians and no change for Risper in the home, the social workers of the OP found a boarding school that Risper could attend where a nurse would monitor Risper's medication and health.  Because of the OP, she was able to be placed in such a school and a positive living environment.  

 

During the school breaks, Risper returned to her guardian home, and Patrick, the Director of the OP, visited her and her guardians to work on building their relationship.  Through their hard work and diligence, and through the ongoing HIV/AIDS education provided by the OP, the guardians' attitude toward Risper has completely changed.  They no longer stigmatize her.  They accept her, they accept her illness, they allow her to play with the other children in the home.  They are taking her in as one of their own.  This is truly a miracle.  And we have been fortunate enough to watch it unfold. 

 

Risper is no longer at the boarding school.  She doesn't need to be.  She stays at her guardians' home and goes to school at the local day school.  She goes monthly to Kitale to the treatment center for her HIV medications, and she takes them as prescribed.  She recently had a rash from taking her medications, so the guardians took her to the hospital to get the proper treatment.  She received it, took her medication for the rash, and is healing from it.  

 

This is another way that the OWI Kenya Orphan Program is leading the way for cultural change in Africa.

         

If you would like to give an extra gift during this holiday season that will help us pay the orphan food bill or for boarding school tuition costs for the orphans, please send your tax-deductible donation to the address listed below or go to our website and make a donation using paypal. 

 

If you are interested in supporting one of the orphans in our Orphan Program for just $35 a month, please go to our website at www.ordinarywomen.org and you can choose your orphan from the profiles.  Or you can write to us at:

 

                                                                                     Ordinary Women, Inc

                                                                            26861 Trabuco Road, Suite E#146

                                                                                   Mission Viejo, Ca. 92691 

        

 

Joining Hands for Global Change,

 

Darla Morfin

Ordinary Women, Inc.

Executive Director- OWI Orphan Program

 

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OWI Kenya Update, November 2010

Hello family and friends of OWI (Ordinary Women Inc.),

 

Thanksgiving, what a wonderful season.  As a culture, this is a time that we stop and reflect about what we are thankful for.  And we have so much to be thankful for.   

 

I want to share a story of one of our orphans and the gratefulness she and her mother have for our program.  Her name is Rael.  Rael is number four out of seven siblings.  Rael has Marfan's Syndrome, which is a connective tissue disorder.  The connective tissue is weakened, which affects the tendons, the cartilage, and the major arteries in the body.  A person with Marfan's Syndrome is usually tall, has long legs and arms, long fingers, and poor vision.  Rael's father was a police officer and died of heart disease in 2004 because of complications from his Marfan's Syndrome.  Marfan's Syndrome is passed down generationally. 

 

The passing of Rael's father left Rael's mother in a very difficult situation.  She was struggling to provide for the basic needs of her children with her job of going to the marketplace and buying and selling vegetables.  She had to make some very difficult decisions like not sending her children to school and finding other places for her children to stay.  Two of Rael's older siblings had to drop out of school.  And with Rael's condition of Marfan's syndrome, Rael had difficulty with her eyesight.  Rael needed eye surgery, but her mother was unaware of this as she was struggling to provide the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter for her children.  Ignorant of the symptoms of Marfan's syndrome, Rael's mother thought Rael was rude, lazy, and slow, and she blamed Rael for being a difficult child.  Rael had dropped out of school and was staying with her grandmother.  Rael's future looked very bleak until she was placed in the Kenya OWI OP (Orphan Program). 

 

Since Rael was placed in the OP two years ago, she and her siblings have returned to the safety and security of their mother's home.  Rael's mother is provided with food every month for Rael which is part of the support offered by Rael's sponsor, so Rael and her mother don't have to worry about how Rael is going to eat every day.  Through extra financial gifts, Rael has gotten the eye surgery needed so now she can read her textbooks.  Also, Rael's social worker in the OP has educated her mother on Marfan's syndrome, so she understands Rael's symptoms and behaviors better now.  Because of Rael's low self-esteem from Marfan's syndrome, her social worker has provided encouragement by reminding her that Abraham Lincoln and Mary, Queen of Scots (1542) both had Marfan's syndrome and yet did powerful things in their lives.

 

Rael has returned to school.  She is now seventeen years old and is in the eighth grade.  She is studying for her exams which she needs to pass to go on to high school.  It looks hopeful that she will enter high school next year.  Her goal in life is to become an Optometrist because she wants to help people with their eyes as she has been helped.        

 

Each month at the guardian day in the OP, Rael's mother is one of the first guardians there to show her gratitude to this program.  She is so thankful and grateful she has her children living with her again, that she can provide for their basic needs, and that Rael has gotten the eye surgery she needed.

 

I thank God for you, our sponsors, encouragers, supporters.  Without you, the OWI Orphan Program in Kenya would be non-existent.  You are making a life changing difference in these childrens' lives.  Thank you!  To you, we are very grateful!  If you would like to give an extra gift during this holiday season that will help us pay the orphan food bill or for school uniforms for the orphans, please send your tax-deductible donation to the address listed below or go to our website and make a donation using paypal. 

 

If you are interested in supporting one of the orphans in our Orphan Program for just $35 a month, please go to our website at www.ordinarywomen.org and you can choose your orphan from the profiles.  Or you can write to us at:

 

                                                                                     Ordinary Women, Inc

                                                                            26861 Trabuco Road, Suite E#146

                                                                                   Mission Viejo, Ca. 92691 

        

 

Joining Hands for Global Change,

 

Darla Morfin

Ordinary Women, Inc.

Executive Director- OWI Orphan Program

 

If you are no longer interested in receiving emails from OWI, please put "Unsubscribe" in the subject line and reply to this email.  Thank you.

BOOK & BAKE SALE UPDATE

On behalf of Ordinary Women, Inc., I would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone who participated in the BOOK & BAKE SALE on Saturday! 

 

We had a tremendous response to our book donation request which provided a wide variety of books to choose from.  The buyers were impressed with the volume and variety.  Thank you for your help – we could not have done it without you! 

 

The baked goods were a hit!  We have some very talented people in our group who were busy baking a beautiful array of breads, muffins, cakes, cookies and brownies!  Thank you all!

 

We made some new friends and have added you to our database so we can keep you apprised of our fundraising efforts and the progress of the Kenyan Orphan Project.

 

We will be having another BOOK SALE next year in the April – May time frame so you can start setting aside your books and we will be happy to take them off your hands.  Of course, we will keep in touch and give you more information closer to the time of this event.

 

Thank you, again, from the bottom of our hearts!

God Bless,

 

ORDINARY WOMEN, INC.

Judy McCoy

 

 

 For more information regarding Ordinary Women, Inc. and our projects, see our web site at www.ordinarywomen.org

 

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BOOK & BAKE SALE THIS SATURDAY!

What a lot of rain we have had!  If this weather makes you want to curl up with a good book then come to the BOOK & BAKE SALE on Saturday and stock up!

 

The books are priced to sell and the proceeds help support orphans in Kenya so you will be helping others as well.

 

WHERE:         28651 Rancho Maralena

                        Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

 

WHEN:           7:00 AM – 1:00 PM this Saturday

                        October 23, 2010

 

 

 

Sponsored by Ordinary Women, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

 

 

 

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OWI BOOK & BAKE SALE - October 23, 2010

Hi Friends of OWI:

 

Here is a great opportunity to help support the OWI Orphan Program by donating books to our BOOK & BAKE SALE.  Clean out your bookshelves and put those unwanted books to work!

 

I am collecting books now, so feel free to drop your books off at my house or contact me if you need them picked up.  Come and join us if you can and bring your friends and family.

 

Thank you so much for your support!

 

Judy McCoy

Ordinary Women, Inc.

 

BOOK & BAKE SALE

 

 

Proceeds support orphans in Kenya

 

 

 

Come and buy a book, eat a cookie and help support the ORDINARY WOMEN, INC. Orphan Program!  Website is www.ordinarywomen.org.

 

 

      WHAT:     BOOK AND BAKE SALE

 

      WHEN:     OCTOBER 23, 2010

                        7:00 AM

 

      WHERE:   28651 Rancho Maralena

                        Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

 

 

Email Judy McCoy at judykmccoy@cox.net for more information.

 

If you are no longer interested in receiving emails from OWI, please put "Unsubscribe" in the subject line and reply to this email.  Thank you.

OWI Kenya Update, September 2010

Hi Friends and Family of Ordinary Women, Inc, (OWI)

 

OWI had another successful trip to Kenya in August, 2010.  The four person team was led by our board member, Debbie Valverde, small but mighty.  It never ceases to amaze me what can be done in a little over a week on these trips.  The trips are usually two weeks in length, but by the time the team gets to Kiminini, Kenya (a 25-27 hour plane flight and then a 10 hour drive by van), there is just a little over a week left to be in Kiminini.  Once again, the team accomplished so much! 

 

Debbie, along with nurse Mumbi (who is Kenyan and now lives in California) put a team of doctors and nurses together in Kenya for a medical clinic.  They did a one day medical clinic for our orphans, guardians, and their families.  This is the first year that none of our orphans had to go to the hospital!  With the ongoing support you are providing as sponsors, our orphans are more healthy this year.  Only one of our orphans is having problems with her eyes.  The doctor thinks it might be allergies as they itch a lot.  She will be taken to the hospital for a follow up appointment.  A big health problem in Kenya is intestinal worms.  Our orphans are receiving de-worming medications every quarter and the medicine for malaria is administered when needed.  All of these preventative measures keep our orphans free of these problems.  Because of the ongoing support you are providing as sponsors, our orphans are healthier than ever!  

 

Debbie's team also had an Orphan Day, where all the orphans, guardians, and their families came together for a day of fun, crafts, and to celebrate their birthdays.  Many of our orphans don't know when their birthdays are, so they had one big birthday party for them all.  I spoke to Patrick today, the Director of the Orphan Program in Kenya, and he said, "It was the best birthday party ever"!  The orphans put together some presentations for the celebration, and they performed them for the group.  Happy birthday was sung, the candles were blown out, and then they cut the cake, sang, and danced in celebration.  And they can really dance!  It sounds like it was a wonderful time together!  Thank you to all the sponsors who donated a little extra for this special day!  Our orphans and their families had a great time.  Patrick also said the guardians enjoyed the day as much as the orphans did.   

 

As well as the medical clinic and the Orphan Day for our orphans, Debbie's team held a Women's Conference for the day.  This was an opportunity for the women in the community to come together and be encouraged by each other.  The women get so much out of these women's conferences.  So much so, they are asking for more than one day for the women's conference next year. 

 

As I talk with the OWI board in Kenya and with Patrick, the Director of the Orphan Program in Kenya, I am continually reminded of the impact this program is making and the lives that are being changed for the better.  And I know it is all because of you, our sponsors and friends who support the work in Kenya.  Thank you.      

 

If you are interested in supporting one of the orphans in our Orphan Program for just $35 a month, please go to our website at www.ordinarywomen.org and you can choose your orphan from the profiles.  Or you can write to us at:

 

                                         Ordinary Women, Inc

                                26861 Trabuco Road, Suite E#146

                                       Mission Viejo, Ca. 92691 

 

 

Joining Hands for Global Change,

 

Darla Morfin

Ordinary Women, Inc.

Executive Director- OWI Orphan Program

 

If you are no longer interested in receiving emails from OWI, please put "Unsubscribe" in the subject line and reply to this email.  Thank you.