Forget Me Not Fridays: Forever Hopeful and SDS

The blog hop is on hiatus this week due to summer vacations, but that doesn't mean I am not thinking about those sweet angels who are living out their days in an orphanage or an institution.

Tabitha 15H

Not a day goes by that little Tabitha with the chunky cheeks and wispy red hair doesn't pop into my head.  Not a day goes by that I do not pray that she finds a home.  Oh how I wish I could be her mama.  Oh how I thought I was her mama.  Instead, she will be the daughter-of-my-heart.  The little girl that I cannot physically rescue.  However, I have made it my mission to find her a family.  A forever family that loves her as much as I do.  Maybe, sometime, I will actually get to hold her.  Until then, she needs a family.

Every day I check my angel Tabitha's Reece's Rainbow page hoping that she has been moved to the "My Family Found Me" page and every day my heart plummets as I see that her family has NOT found her.  Another day sentenced to the life in an orphanage.  My heart cries.  Do people not see what I see?--A beautiful little girl with lovely eyes and chubby cheeks that look like acorns might be stored in there?  Do they not see how beautiful she is?  Do they not see how much she yearns to be held and loved in those soulful eyes?  She is worthy.  She is worthy of love.  She is worthy of life. . . of a life with a parent.

Yes, I am begging you and pleading with you to circulate her photo.  Please help me find Tabitha a family.

How can you not fall in-love with this face????

Last month, I pledged to donate $1 for every follower of my blog up to 150 followers (read here).  At the end of last month, I donated $92 for my 92 followers (read here).  Thank you followers!!!!!  Jane at Flight-Platform Living matched my donation and we had a few more donors who raised her grant money.  Thank you!!!

My wallet is still recovering, but I vow to hold this pledge again.  Little Tabitha needs a home.

My August Elden's Change for a Change is currently going strong.  I have scoured the cars, drawers, and Andrew's desk for loose change.  Yes, I am stealing Andrew's money.  I am placing all coins I receive during a transaction into my special "Change for a Change" container for Elden.  Pennies may be only one cent, but it all adds up.  Can you imagine how much money would go into Elden's fund if all of my followers and your friends saved your change for the next 2.5 weeks?  Small deeds = Big Change.

Elden 14G

Announcing the orphan for September's Change for a Change (in case you want to get a head start):

FRANCINE!

The following are orphans who need families:

Ilya

Daniel 2H

Sasha
ALREADY TRANSFERRED!

The following families are working hard to bring their children home.  

Albina's Forever Family:  Huge give-away that includes a kindle, $100 Target giftcard, jewelry, and many other goodies.

Liam's Forever Family (Lucas):  This little boy is almost SEVEN!  That is far to long to be without a family.  They will be traveling soon to rescue him and funs are still needed.

Olga's Forever Family (Abell):  This wonderful and fabulous family has been waiting TOO LONG to bring home Olga.  Please follow their journey.

Paisley's Forever Family (Tam):  Large give away including iPad, Nikon SLR camera, giftcards, jewelry, crafts.

Peter's Forever Family (Kehm): They are getting very close to traveling.

Phoebe's Forever Family (Smith): American Girl give away.  Hurry-ends 8/23!

Shannon's Forever Family (Sphak): Shannon's 5th Birthday One-hundred Wishes Fundraiser.  Revealing of the name Dot Fundraiser

Shawna & Lindsay's Forever Family (Eubanks):  They are striving hard to bring home two little girls. They are expected to get a travel date soon and funds are still desperately needed.


*If I have missed an orphan or a family who is raising money for adoption, please contact me child's photo and your blog address so that I might include them in the next Forget-Me-Not-Friday post.

**Things are not always as wonderful and accepting in the United States as I would like to think they are.  Recently, a magazine (GQ) and a movie (The Change Up) used very discriminatory language towards people with disabilities.  As far as we have come in accepting others, we still have a ways to go.  The words r*tard, r*tarded, and Downsy are insensitive, ignorant and unacceptable.  They are hurtful.  As the co-founder of Stop Disability Slurs, I encourage you to visit our new website at http://www.facebook.com/stopdisablityslurs and pledge to remove these hurtful words from your vocabulary.  We must have a united front to end disability slurs.  Mission: "Stop Disability Slurs! Do you have the courage? We do not put up with racial/gay/religious slurs so why does this keep happening? We MUST stop our society from thinking this is OK. The Change Up movie and the recent GQ Magazine issue are creating public slurs against people with disabilities.  This campaign starts with you.  Will the media have the courage to speak up and change their ways? We will see. We hope to make a change. It starts with you. "--Gretchen Mather, Founder