When a child is hurting

You and I hear it, and maybe say it, every year: “Count your blessings.” 

We set aside a day for it. Thanksgiving: a uniquely American holiday.

Friends of New Thing have an unusual count-your-blessings tradition:

Every year at Thanksgiving time, we provide a year’s worth of the ordinary medicine-cabinet meds and supplies needed to care for 80 children with disabilities.

They live in a boarding school in Osipovichi, Belarus, many abandoned at birth because of their conditions.

When a child is hurting, an aspirin or a bandaid becomes a treasure.

Even with rampant inflation in Belarus, it takes just $6500 to provide all the everyday meds and supplies for a whole year.

That’s less than 23¢ a day for each child.

And some longtime friends of New Thing — who love our Thanksgiving tradition — want to inspire you to give generously:

If we can raise half the funds by Thanksgiving Day ($3250), they’ll provide the other half.

We just have to make the deadline.

I invite you to respond in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Whatever you give today, your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar, your personal impact doubled.

Your love will go twice as far.

And as you share a portion of your own blessings, you’ll give the children and caregivers blessings to count as well.

Thanks for journeying with New Thing!

Much love,

Doug Brendel

(Photo by Oleg Yarovenko)