Ernie Roide of Promotion Plus in San Luis Obispo has graciously donated 100 new school backpacks for the children of the Grace Girls Home.

Based in San Luis Obispo, Promotion Plus is a full service marketing company with over 20 years of experience in specialty advertising. Read more about Promotion Plus here.

Each of the backpacks is imprinted with the Grace Girls Home logo as in the photograph to the left.

Donations like this have become the norm for Promotion Plus. Since 2002, they have made regular donations to VeAhavta of t-shirts for all the kids, donors and volunteers; polo shirts for the Grace Care Center staff; printed materials such as brochures; and promotional items such as coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets.

On behalf of VeAhavta and the residents and staff of the Grace Care Center, thank you Ernie and Promotion Plus, once again, for your generosity!

Permalink

Today, Mercy Home Co-director Hiram Labrooy invited the Grace Daycare teachers and children for a visit to Mercy Home. But he had more than just a regular visit in mind; this time he had a surprise: one of the Mercy Home pet rabbits had given birth to five baby bunnies! Oohs, ohhs and "eye-yos" were heard everywhere as the kids played with the new bunnies. Fortunately, Hiram took some photos (see below).

Would you like to support the Grace Daycare program? Almost all of the children in the program come from area refugee camps, and they could sure use the help. Daycare gives overwhelmed parents a chance to work or look for work and provides the children with a safe and enjoyable environment to learn and play in. Your regular donations to the program will allow us to continue to provide for these children.

Click here to learn more about Grace Daycare; click here to donate to the program right now.

Thank you for your support!

Grace Daycare: Providing a Safe Place for Kids to be Kids!

For more photos, click on the links below:

View image
View image
View image
View image
View image
View image

Permalink

VeAhavta's on-line sponsorship system is now up and running, but we have many children and elders who are in need of sponsors. Won't you help by becoming a sponsor right now?

Sponsorship is easy and is an extremely rewarding experience for both participants. Many people who start by sponsoring 1 child or 1 elder decide to sponsor more after just a few months.

To read about the program, click here.

To sponsor a child and/or an elder click here.

Thank you for your support!

What a difference your love can make!

Permalink

Mr. Anton Pushparajan, a resident of Mercy Home, expired at Trincomalee General Hospital on September 1, 2006, following a brief illness. He was 66 years old.

A memorial service was conducted on Sunday, September 3, at 4:00 p.m., at Mercy Home by Rev. Joseph Gnanapragasam of Grace Church, with Rev. Azariah Soundararah of St. James Church in Kilinochchi assisting. (Mr. Pushparajan was Christian and had requested a Christian memorial service.)

Mr. Pushparajan was admitted to Mercy Home less than two months ago, on July 19, 2006. He was born in Trincomalee on December 17, 1939, but lived in Kilinochchi prior to his admission. Mr. Pushparajan was a former teacher and school principal. He was extremely bright, spoke English quite well and was very knowlegeable of Sri Lankan history.

At the end of his life, Mr. Pushparajan enjoyed reading and bathing in the sea. He is survived by a sister. Those who knew him will remember a wise and gentle man with a warm smile and a quick wit.

We are glad to have had an opportunity to get to know Mr. Pushparajan. His presence at Grace will be missed by family and friends and by the residents, staff and volunteers who had the privilege to know him.

Memorial Service at Mercy Home

Burial Service in Trincomalee

Permalink

As of 11:59 p.m., PDT last night, the total amount of donations collected for Sri Lankan refugee relief stood at $14,450 -- just $550 short of our goal of $15,000.

But then this morning we received an inquiry from a concerned donor from the Great State of Michigan who found out how close we were and agreed to make a second donation of $275 to match an equal amount offered by a California donor.

Both donations were made on-line this morning and just came in.

You did it. Alright, so technically ALL the funds didn't come in before 11:59 p.m.; they came in before the wire so we're including them.

The funds will be wired immediately, and 100% of the $15,000 being sent will be used to provide food, water, clothing and shelter to our displaced Sri Lankan brothers and sisters.

We will also be sending a letter to Fr. Jeyanesan explaining that the funds to purchase the supplies came from concerned brothers and sisters in the U.S. The letter will express your love and support and will be read to our Sri Lankan brothers and sisters in three languages just prior to the distribution of the supplies.

Eric Parkinson, VeAhavta founder and president, will be traveling to Sri Lanka on September 24 and will bring back photos and video from the displaced persons camps showing the effects of your generosity.

You did it. Without you, this amazing gift of love would not have been possible.

You did it. And what you did will make the world a little brighter for some very important people. They may not feel very important right now -- they may feel forgotten and hopeless -- but they will light up when they receive your gifts of love. That's the power of Love.

Thank you so much.

Permalink