Goodbye, 2011! Hello, 2012!

Well, it's that time of year when we say goodbye to one year and hello to another.  For all of us at ERK 2011 was interesting to say the least....we learned alot about ourselves and our nonprofit.  We gained new board members and we lost some, we made some mistakes and we learned from them, we got on each others nerves and we pulled together when the time was right and now we go into 2012 with a clear idea of where we need/want to be and ideas on how to get there.  In 2011, we helped so many deserving children in so many ways, but we couldn't have done any of it without the support of all of you!!!  As this year comes to an end, in just a few short hours, I can't thank you enough for all you have done for ERK this past year!  For several years now we have been struggling to get our name out there and now with your help, people are starting to know who we are and what we are accomplishing in Erica's memory for our community.  I believe that 2012 will be an amazing year for ERK and the children and elderly in our community will benefit like they never have in the past.  Those of us that sit on the Board of Directors as volunteers are committed to making a difference for our community and all that that entails, so heres to a fabulous 2012!!!  Have a safe and happy new year!  visit us at http://www.ericaraeskids.org/

Two Days and Counting....

It's December 23rd and Christmas morning is 2 days away, will all the good little boys and girls have something under the Christmas tree - will they even have a Christmas tree?  No matter what the situation is that these wonderful children live in through no fault of their own, we at ERK are determined to make sure that they are remembered at Christmas as no child should wake up Christmas morning and not have a present from Santa.  Some people may say that I'm not being "politically correct" by saying Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, but there you have it, I said it and I'll say it again, these children deserve a childhood and if that childhood includes a wish for Christmas and all that entails then we will climb mountains to make it happen for them.  ERK had some very last minute requests for help, tragic stories all of them, 5 children who were evicted along with their parents from their apartment just because the landlord didn't like them, a mother with a substance abusing husband who threw her and her 3 children out of their house, a terminally ill man who couldn't provide any kind of Christmas dinner for his family!  Please understand that the children that we help are in these tragic situations because of numerous reasons and as children they have no control.  Don't judge, just help.   I have learned that I had a "discrimination gene" until I started working with this program and I used to be one of those people that said "Well, the parents....." and then I realized it's the children that we need to help no matter what the parental situation is.  I'm going to step off my soapbox now and I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!! Please visit us at http://www.ericaraeskids.org/ and donate if you can to help these wonderful children.

OMG, What an Exceptional Day!!!

First great thing that happened today....wait for it.....wait for it.....wait for it.....Erica Rae's Kids, Inc. won our first grant.  After 2 years of very hard work we got the news this morning that we have won $10,000 from the WalMart Corp. in their 12 Days of Giving!  OMG!!!!!! There were over 5,400 nonprofits who were nominated and 145 that won and we were 1 of the lucky nonprofits to be a winner.  Of course we on the Board have know for along time that we were winners, but now everyone will know - LOL!  What we have accomplished with personal donations and our wonderful volunteers has proven to us on the Board that what we were trying to do for all of the children in our coummunity that were in need was the right thing to do, now with this money that we will receive from WalMart there is so much more and more of it that we can do!!!  What a day!!!  The second great thing that happened today is.....wait for it....the 2011 Christmas Program has been delivered to all 21 schools and to all the Foster Programs and the Elderly Program has been picked up.....let's hear those Cheers everyone!!!  It's time to regroup and clean up some desks of some paperwork and then it will be "balls to the walls" to start all over again.  Yeeeeeeessssss!  Love what we do!  Thank You everyone for your continued support!!!!  Visit us at www.ericaraeskids.org 
 

"It's a Wonderful Life!"

Christmas presents wrapped - check; Candy - check; Stockings filled - check; Tags made - check; Bags bought - check; Volunteers rounded up - check and away we go.....Bag & Tag 2011 at Erica Rae's Kids, Inc. is complete!!!  This morning over 30 volunteers showed up to bag & tag presents for over 900 underpriviledged and abused children that had been nominated for our Christmas program.  We are so lucky to have all these wonderful people in our lives to help us fulfill our dream of helping these children that would not be able to have a Christmas unless someone stepped in to help.  I know it makes me feel good to do this and I know that it makes everyone of the fabulous ladies that are on our Board of Directors happy too.  We all have been through the ups and downs of life and if we can give back when we can it is a very powerful feeling.  When all of the bags start going out to the schools throughout the community I know there will be alot of very happy children and relieved parents who have been worried and stressed out over how in this horrible economy they were going to be able to give their precious children a Christmas and still be able to put food on the table.  Many of the parents in our community have to make that choice and it is such a sad thing to have to make a choice like that when so many of those parents don't want to burden their children with the fact of how dire the situation at home really is.  If we can help with that burden then our job here is done....unfortunately, our job will never be done but we will do everything that we can to help each year.  This year we had some very tragic stories and some of these children are so strong that all I can say is WOW, you kids are my heros!!!!!  I do want to let everyone know that we were also able to put together 20 boxes for our Elderly Program which we didn't think we were going to be able to do since we have been undergoing a bit of restructuring and reorganizing but suprise, suprise we recieved some last minute monetary donations from some of the people who donated to this wonderful program last year.  All I can say right now is - "It's a Wonderful Life"  Thank you and Have a Merry Christmas from Erica Rae's Kids, Inc.  visit us a www.ericaraeskids.org