The most wonderful time of the year

Imagine 200 people in Kansas City without a home. Now imagine them without warm coats in the freezing weather. I get bent out of shape when I am cold for a few minutes walking from my car to my house. Think about being cold to the bone ALL NIGHT. These 200 people have now been given coats by a few 10 year old boys with an idea. My nephew Mikey and his friend Jack had an idea to do a coat drive for homeless people. A few weeks later, they were passing them out to 200 people in need. How inspiring.

I love this time of the year. It is always full of surprises like that. People get in the giving spirit and very interested in what they can do for others, including HALO kids in need around the world. We get excited to check the mail every day. Our volunteers have worked hours on end preparing for these few weeks. The orphanages have sent in their requests for the kids, ranging from food to new clothes and the HALO office becomes like Santa's workshop. Its a beautiful thing to feel that giving spirit and to know that the kids who receive are so incredibly grateful. 

Click here to read more.

Their warm meals, Christmas parties, new clothes, and opportunities to go to school light up their lives and make them feel loved. We have our built in Santas who are our supporters. If you are interested in giving a gift to HALO children, check out our gift catalog. All the opportunities are listed. Its especially great for that unique person you can't find a thing for... making a donation in their name is always a wonderful idea. Click here to learn more, view our catalog, and become a HALO Santa. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Impact of ONE

HALO was started with a group of 10 volunteers who had an extreme commitment to making a difference in lives of children in need. These individuals each took on a responsibility and assured that HALO’s potential was reached in that arena. By structuring HALO this way, we were able to support over 120 children at 4 large orphanages. This means each person was supporting 12 children with their efforts.

This is still the case today. As we have grown, it has become necessary that we have 2.5 paid employees in the HALO office since we are supporting 13 programs around the world.

Our Ambassador Board currently accounts for at least 4 full-time paid positions, which at $30,000 would be $120,000. That amount supports 5 orphanages, or 120 children. This means that the average HALO KC Volunteer Ambassador is supporting 8 children. 


Our structure sets us apart from other non-profits, which is why we are able to stretch our dollars so far. It also gives volunteers a true opportunity to make a profound impact with their skills, grow, and be part of a team or family of like-minded people committed to doing good.

Businesses are run with departments. These departments collectively make the business a success. Without accounting, bills don’t get paid. Without marketing, nobody knows what the company does.  This is why our volunteers are important. Our theory has always been if we are helping just one child, just one life, all our work is worth it. Each of our Ambassadors help us reach that one more child on the horizon.

When thinking about what a volunteer truly is to HALO, I think about the children. Our volunteers give a family to children around the world.  

Resilience

I took a hiatus from my posting as I have been reveling in the new addition to our family, Klaebel James Welsh. We adopted him 9 weeks ago and are thrilled to have him with us every minute.

Motherhood has shifted my paradigm quite a bit. I have always had compassion for children but now that I understand the daily, hour to hour, minute to minute needs of a child, my capacity for this compassion has grown. I have always known that our youth have been through incredible trials. It is evident to me now more than ever that the trials they face are more than we could possibly imagine. The mere fact that they have experienced the loss of their parents breaks my heart.It makes me realize just how resilient they are. When I hear stories of our youth succeeding in school, becoming a carpenter, or serving their community, I feel I sometimes take it for granted.

These are children who have experienced great loss and risen above extreme challenges to change their own paths. Take Kennedy for example:

"I have always dreamed of being a carpenter," says 18-year-old Kennedy Kiiru. "I believe I can be a very good mason and maybe one day I would become a contractor. I wish to be a reliable person in the future who will be able to assist my family, whatever the cost." When he was only five years old, his mother became paralyzed. Kennedy was unable to attend school because he had to begin working to support his mother and siblings. Think about that. No school, working in fields to dig for food, worried sick about your mom and eventually loosing her at such a young age. That's more pressure than I have ever experienced. 

Since being placed in the HALO Kenya Home, Kennedy has been a role model for the other boys. He has become a natural caretaker and a humble example to others. Kennedy is a Woodland Scholarship recipient, attending school to become a carpenter. Thanks to our HALO Heroes, Kennedy is capitalizing on an opportunity for a brighter future. He is a brilliant example of resilience, as are many of the children in this video.


These children put life in perspective for me. The next time I am frustrated or feel sorry for myself, I will think of Kennedy.

Through my lens

Art has always been an integral part of our programming. It is a vehicle that provides healing and freedom of expression. Thanks to our volunteers, HALO Youth attended a photography workshop recently during HALO Summer Camp. Featured are a few unique photos of life through their lenses. 

Food for thought

We have all seen the recent news about the food crisis in Africa, particularly Kenya and Somaila. I recently received an email from our HALO Field Coordinator, Asiimwe Venancio, who manages our home budgets and tracks Ugandan trends. The below info from his email addresses issues we are facing in Uganda and how we may handle it. Reading this made me realize, once again, how blessed we are to live in this country. 

Makarere Home Cooking, Uganda

Current situation. 

There is a very high price increase that is very alarming, increased depreciation of our shilling against the dollar and others. In less than three months, the commodity prices have more than tripled and almost quadrupling. A few months back a 50 kg sack of corn was at UGX 40,000 but its now 110,000 and in some places like Kibuli and Ntinda, its at 130,000 and the rest of the commodities are going up like that. What is worrying is that it seems to be going up week after week and we are not sure how much it will be in two months time. Market speculations are that prices are expected to be higher. Inflation rate has risen from 6% to 16.5% and its still going up and it could get worse towards September,October and November if nothing is done in time.

Actually the problem is not that there is a food shortage in the country. On the contrary, there is food though not very much but its in the rural areas and transporting the food town is a problem because of the high fuel prices. By the time food reaches us, its final price is really high.

This has been caused by;

1 - During the presidential and parliamentary elections and campaigns that just ended, its speculated the candidates used a lot of money especially the government candidates that increased the money in circulation thus high prices.

2 - At the start of the year the Central bank issued new currency notes and its speculated that instead of with drawing the old ones, they left them to used too alongside the new ones. It is speculated that this was a plan to have more money for those political campaigns.

3 - The government sold 2 of their 4 bank reserves to purchase fighter planes.

4 - The fuel crisis created by the Libyan war.

5 - Low food production over the past years.

Threats.

One can ask him/herself what if the dollar rates go down or stay normal while the prices continue to soar. There, it might become a big problem for all of us as it would force us to only meet the children necessities and leave others or we ask for budget increments.

This is a season when Uganda has always experienced bumper food harvest and we had hoped that prices could go down in these months but instead they are going up. The coming months of September up to December are always months of food shortages so there is a possibility that things could get worse.

Opportunities.

The government officials are scratching their heads in trying to find solutions to this problem. There is a need to help empower the agricultural sector so that it can support the economy by reducing the food prices which can also help us. The Central Bank is working hard on reducing the amount of money in circulation by employing measures like increasing the bank rates for all commercial banks.

Strategies.

Because of the uncertainties in the future, I have been advising the homes to store more food in this period when things are relatively lower. We think two or three months of stored  food will held reduce the effects of the rotting economy. I have worked with the mentors in identifying a good supplier who is giving us discounts because of buying in bulk so that he can supply to the homes enough food for at least two months. We will then advance them funds to pay this and this would reduce the total money spent on food next months.

 To learn more about how to help, visit http://www.haloworldwide.org/give/1-for-30/

Corporate Social Responsibility for the small business

The past few days I have been in Baltimore contributing to "Think Big Baltimore" which is a great event geared toward empowering and connecting entrepreneurs. I have been honored to speak about our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program called HALO Alliance (www.haloalliance.org). 

Usually CSR pertains to what a corporation is doing to make a positive social impact. This includes examples such as a recycling program, being consious of the impact they have on communities by manufacturing a product, employee volunteer programs, and how they give back in their communities.

HALO's CSR program is unique because it is a seamless way for a small business to partner with us. Most CSR programs are developed for large corporations and can be very complex, taking multiple resources from the company to develop. Through HALO Alliance, small businesses select from a menu of customizable options for their company to receive return on their $125 monthly investment to meet a specific need. 

By making CSR a part of company values and brining it to the forefront of daily culture, the identity of the entire workplace can shift. Employees and clients look at a photo of the supported program instead of that piece of cheap framed print that has been collecting dust for years. They can receive a monthly update on how the children are doing via email. They are given the opportunity to volunteer at the partner organization and they look forward to a Holiday Party where they bring an item of clothing to donate. When they visit the company website, they are happy to see the "Proud to be a HALO Alliance member, supporting x need." logo and link. And best of all, the program is being supported, a need is being met.

I can't say how many times new volunteers come to the office talking about how much they hate their job and how they just want to make a difference. We ask the volunteer about their passions and give them a platform to truly use their skills to give back, which is a win-win. Its how we stay tight and nimble. 

But it can be a win-win-win. We can help the business with employees who "hate their job so much". If their company were to give back, invest in the future of children in need (in HALO's case) and share that with their employees - making it part of their day to day life - would it make a difference in how they view their job? If their employer was giving them true opportunities to get involved and updating them on the impact that is being made, would it shift their paradigm? 

Click here to read stats on CSR.

Large corporations have caught on to this and are hiring CSR Directors, sometimes full CSR departments, to be their moral compass. Small businesses can't afford to do that...but they can afford HALO Alliance, which is why we developed the concept. 

People are more concerned than ever, especially people in their 20's and 30's. They are concerned about recycling, the environment, and social change, among other issues. (Plus, being concerned is cooler than ever). If companies don't get on board with some sort of CSR, they are going to miss opportunities to keep employees happy and engage their clients in their company values (which include making a positive social impact). They may be left behind. The non-profit world is shifting. WIthout innovation, true partnerships, sustainability and social enterprise, we will be left behind.  

The Bond of Family

When a HALO child enters a home, they have most likely lost both parents, been abandoned, or thier  families not capable to care for them anymore due to illness. They then go through a time of getting acquainted with their new surroundings and family. The child in the bunkbed next to theirs slowly becomes their friend, then best friend, then sister or brother.  Their similar backgrounds makes their bond unbelievably strong. Once they live in the home for a while, I have a tough time figuring out who is blood related. 

Timau boys making faces

The caretakers in Kenya don't allow fighting among the children. They teach that the other children are your siblings and you should look out for them. If your brother or sister needs something, you step up to help. The youth in the homes rely on each other for love and support. The kids work together with the Caretakers to clean their rooms, do laundry, fetch water, and do household chores.

Sisterhood in Naibor

Crossing the finish line in Kenya

HALO kids constantly teach me. They truly cherish their family, showing love and respect for them in everything they do. We can all learn from their example.

Henry and his mentor

Where do I sign up?

During the school year, HALO Domestic Centers serve as safe havens that provide tutoring, educational workshops, and future focused programming for at-risk, homeless, and foster youth. This summer the Denver team has put together an incredible camp for the kids offering tennis, bowling, ceramics, choir, art, step, skating, photography, and swimming... Seriously. Where do I sign up?

I went to the HALO Center this week during the start of their first session of four week summer camp. The staff informed me that attendance was lower than expected because there was a family of multiple children who didn't show up. When one of our staff members did a home visit, she learned their family couldn't afford the $10 per child entrance fee, which is charged to instill ownership for the parents. Not only were they struggling with that, their utilities had been turned off at their home.

Think about it. That's no stove, no fridge, no microwave, no warm water. Its no night-lights, no air conditioner, no phone. The kids shower at a nearby recreation center and stay out as long as they can before they go home. 

It is our goal to seek out and reach children in the greatest need. If that means a child living on the streets in Uganda, a homeless child in Kansas City, an orphan in Mexico, or an at-risk youth in Denver, we are ready to help. Giving the neediest child a chance at a brighter future is our mission. With the help of our volunteers, staff and supporters, we are able to offer summer camp, shelters, tutoring, vocational training, mentors, basic necessities, and hope around the world. We couldn't do it without your help. Thank you for making this happen. Click here to learn more about our programs or how to get more involved.

Campers having a blast.

Extreme Makeover: Denver Edition

Until August, 2010 2804 Welton Street in Denver was a a small, run down house on a yard of dirt located in the Five Points community. This area is known for crime, poverty, and with some of the worst schools in Colorado... 

When HALO comes into a community, we seek out the children with the greatest need. We want an answer the question, "How do we make the most profound impact with our resources?" Since every community is different, we spend a significant amount of time meeting with other non-profits, community leaders, and residents to determine how we can best serve the children. 

In Denver, we started with programming for children living at homeless shelters. Our volunteers now reach hundreds of children each month through art therapy and other programs. After researching the community, Nikki Cady (Denver HALO Director)  discovered that the next greatest need was a safe-haven for children. The children of Five Points needed a stable place to come every day for tutoring, workshops, and fitness programs. These proactive programs are geared toward keeping kids off the street, out of gangs, and succeeding in school. 

With a paint job, a lot of elbow grease and countless volunteers, that house now serves as a safe-haven. Every night, 64 children come through those doors to receive tutoring, art therapy, and workshop instruction. These are children who most likely receive free lunches at school, come from a single parent home, or who are bouncing around in the foster care system. 

I recently heard a group wanted to do some landscaping at the center. I was excited to hear this since the dirt yard was less than appealing. My husband Eddie and I showed up that Saturday morning to find more than 30 volunteers laying sod, planting a garden, spreading rocks, planting flowers, and putting in a basketball court. It was way more than we imagined and needless to say, tears came to my eyes. 

Concerts for Kids is run by Walter and Khristie Isenberg, a wonderful couple who are making a great impact in this world. They organize huge concerts each year to raise funds for organizations in Denver. The Isenbergs use their contacts in resources to get corporations donate materials and ask their employees to volunteer at the sites. That Saturday over 800 volunteers were doing the same thing at other non-profits around Denver. 

The HALO Center paints a different picture now.  What was once a desolate, worn down corner is now a beautiful lot with a vibrant home full of kids who deserve a safe haven. It shows promise and hope of a bright future for that community. 

Charged for just one more

During our most recent future-focused trip to Africa, we visited 8 orphanages and programs. It was invigorating to see our Ambassadors at work, implementing ideas to give our youth a true chance at a brighter future. Here's a little peek into the homes we visited.

Samson, Naibor Kenya

By evaluating each child on a case-by-case basis, identifying tangible education/career goals, and helping our youth view life beyond the orphanage as a positive place, we are able to help them become contributing members of their communities. Our Ambassadors are committed to helping each child reach their full potential.

Miriam, Naibor Kenya

The boys of the Timau Home

Thanks to our HALO Heroes, our scholarships have given hope to the children we support. HALO kids are now able to reach their dreams beyond the home by going to vocational school or college.

Alice, Uganda

Bukesa, Uganda

HALO Ambassador Dani Walker with Girls Home Mentors in Uganda

Josh Fry, Halo Volunteer and Eunice in Kenya

Every time I go, I come back saying the same things. 1)  Words cannot express how grateful the children are for our support. 2) I am incredibly charged to work toward a goal of bringing in one more child from the street... and another... and another. If we put ourselves in the shoes of a child on the street, we have profound drive to work on their behalf. This drive is what keeps HALO going and growing. 

Spark...The ArtReach Auction

It was the spring of 2006. We had been in existence for almost a year and a half and HALO was housed in a tiny room of my apartment in Kansas City we were supporting a few orphanages at that time. My roommate Sunny and I held meetings at a garage sale table in our place. We asked almost every person with whom we came in contact to be part of HALO and soon we formed a powerful team.

All the while, artwork from the children in orphanages was delivered to our door every time we turned around and soon enough there wasn't enough space for it all. Spark. The Artreach Auction. Why don't we auction these pieces off? The stories of their lives are expressed in these pieces. We should share them. It will connect our donors. 

Timau Orphanage, Kenya

Our first Ambassador Board came together for nothing short of a miraculous feat in 6 weeks. Volunteers stayed up all night at our place making frames for pieces, putting together silent auction baskets, painting huge flowers that would decorate the room. Since we had a $0 budget, our community donated  the food, the cocktails, the printing donated, almost everything. 

HALO Volunteers Marshall, Sunny, and Monica at 2007 Artreach Auction

I remember walking on the auction stage that night with the first piece of HALO art. I knew it cost $12.50 to frame that piece. I said a little prayer - please, please let someone pay at least $15 just so we cover our expenses. It went for $250. I screamed. We raised $35,000. It was magical.

Fast forward to today. We are supporting 13 homes and programs around the world. We have received thousands of pieces from the kids over the years, expressing their lives, dreams, and realities. To date, The Artreach Auction has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and been held in 3 cities for over 2000 guests to enjoy. Nationally known artists have joined by donating their work to our cause as well. There are hundreds of walls in homes around the U.S. adorned with HALO artwork and a story that goes with each. 

Vera Von Holdenberg, 2009 HALO Artreach Auction

At this event, our supporters get a peek into the lives of the children they support; what life is like in their shoes. We want our donors to be connected to their good works and to watch HALO kids, who have a better life because of them, grow. The 13th HALO Artreach Auction will be held May 6th, 2011. Join us for a magical evening. We are expecting to sell out. Click here to come take a peek.

Future-Focused in Uganda

“I am a good candidate for a scholarship because of my academic performance in past years and I have the potential. I value education so much, and, according to me, in this global village many successful people have toiled with education and have achieved the best in their lives. Therefore, I also want to work hard to become the best and fulfill my expectations in the future. Furthermore, my personal goal is to become a good example to the younger generation.” Joel Batte

Joel Batte, HALO Hero Scholarship Recipient

What does it mean to be future-focused? According to the book "The Time Paradox", for future-focused people, long-range goals fuel today's decisions and actions. This keeps them ambitiously working, saving, and planning for a better life. Self-discipline and the ability to delay gratification are key. Future-focused people are more successful professionally and academically.  You need safety and stability in the present to start thinking about the future. 

Diner time in Uganda

My recent trip to Uganda was all about our future with questions such as: How will we maintain our programs in five years? What is the most responsible way we could bring in the other100 identified children in need? Who will our children become beyond the home? 

The Makarere Home, Uganda

For HALO, first we need safety and stability. This means we must secure sustainable funding through monthly donations or multi-year commitments to our programs. Then we are able focus on our programs, which must be geared toward giving our kids the tools to become contributing members of their communities.

Joel Batte is an example of a future focused youth who grew up in the Makarere Home in Uganda and just received the HALO Hero Scholarship. We want to follow Joel's example and continue to plan for the future. That way we are able, planning, and expecting to improve the lives of more children in need. We can all learn from Joel. I know he will be a great example for my personal life...

Who's on first? The catcher.

The last trip I took to Timau, I thought it would be a great idea to teach the kids how to play the game of baseball. A kind man from Kansas City donated some bats, balls, helmets, and catchers gear. While packing my over-sized suitcase I slowly realized that it may be a bit difficult to lug this around Africa and could have been smarter to just bring some soccer balls. Or how about teaching them flag football? Too late.

First Baseman

I really didn't think about the challenges. I set up the bases and thought it would be quite simple. After I explained the game, I thought we should be good to go. Well, we had quite a few issues: they would hit the ball and run past the base out into the field or just run around the bases over and over and everyone would just laugh or not understanding what "out" meant. After a few days of playing, I felt like they finally got it. They looked like a MLB team, well, except for the fact that most were barefoot and our bases we sticks in the ground. But they got the rules for the most part.

3 guys playing 2nd base, pitcher with batter's helmet

During this trip the kids were so excited to play baseball again. They got out all their gear and set up all proud to show that they could play the game. They had made a few minor changes: 1) The pitcher wore the batting helmet. 2) The first baseman wore the catcher's gear. (I assume someone got hit with a ball on first base and decided it was a better position for protection.) 3) They had 2-3 players at each base, just in case someone made an error. It was my favorite baseball game of all time.

You are not a ghost

 
34 children, 4 mud huts, and a wealth of love. We are in Naibor, Kenya. The kids are starting to grow up. Four years ago I heard them talk about what they wanted to be when they grow up. Now, thanks to the HALO Hero scholarship, the older ones are starting to reach those dreams.

During this visit, we have listened to many of the kids open up about their lives before the home and their dreams for the future. One of the older kids named Moses had such a compelling story. He shared that when he lived on the streets he felt like a ghost when he would approach people to beg for food. People would just look past him as if he wasn’t there. My heart broke when I heard that. He also shared about how he was jealous of other kids walking by in their uniforms on their way to school.

He explained his favorite day when our orphanage director saw him on the streets and invited him to a probationary stay at the HALO Home. After 2 weeks of good behavior, Moses was taken to a school to enroll. He is now trying to finish primary school and apply for a scholarship to become a mechanic.

Moses is very behind in school for his age, which is a common issue for street children. I cannot begin to imagine how that must feel. The mentors at the home were telling me many of the kids struggle with being the oldest in their class. The other kids make fun of them, calling them JaJa (which means Grandpa). The good thing is, Moses and most of the others are resilient because of their difficult pasts. They have slept on the streets with strangers, been taken advantage of, spent days hungry, and felt like ghosts. Being made fun of in school is not the end of the world for them.

When they enter the home the first step is to help them look past survival level.. Gaining their trust is next – they have to trust that we won’t abandon them, we will always be here, and that we love them as if they were our own. Helping them see their bright future after so many trials is essential for their success. If they are able to commit to that vision and trust that we will provide for them, they are able to push on and look toward their future of being able to provide for their families.

I cannot thank our HALO Heroes enough. These scholarships have had such a direct impact on the lives of HALO supported children like Moses.

Tiptoeing in Timau

It reminded me of that scene on Wizard of Oz when the house first lands in Oz and Dorothy tiptoes out of her house. First she hears the laughter of the munchkins followed by their little heads popping out around her. When we arrived at the HALO home in Timau, Kenya the boys were scattered about and one by one they would peek out, slowly come to greet us, shyly smiling and giggling.This is the good stuff. Its why we work so hard.


 Timau has limited electricity, no running water, and an outdoor kitchen that consists of a fire and a few pots. Staying there is much like camping with a huge family.

The boys at this home are extremely close, sharing similar trials and grief. In all my time staying there I have never seen a fight between them. When it is time to eat, they serve one another. When someone drops something, someone else picks it up. The big boys look out for the little ones. Its absolutely beautiful. I asked Benson, one of the Mentors at the home how it is that the boys have become this way. He said "Because they are brothers. They love each other. They care for each other. They only have each other. They are brothers."


I cannot wait to share the stories of success from this home when I return. They are growing up so quickly, many going to vocational school now... going to be contributing members of their communities. I am so proud of them and so grateful for everyone who makes this happen.