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. 

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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