It was a success!

We all want to thank each and every one of you who donated to sending Christmas to the kids in Nikolaev! Every donation, be it monetary, gift or prayer, made it possible to send gifts to every single child in two orphanages!

Please do not copy or use these images in any way. Please link back to this post/blog instead of taking the images.

In September, all these former Niko baby house residents gathered in AL to put the gifts into boxes and pack them all up! It was a great reunion weekend!


Packing!!!








Christmas in Nikolaev!!




























Even the littlest ones received baby boxes!

Thanks for being a blessing...

First...I must say there are a whole bunch of 19 mamas who are just blown away by your outpouring of love, support, and generosity for the precious souls that still weigh heavy on our hearts.  YOU have donated from your heart to give an orphan a Christmas blessing this year and oh how awesome it has been to see the Christmas goodies keep rolling in....

Many of you have donated cute toys...

...socks, underwear, gloves, hats, hair bows...

...and then there were the boxes...

When the mamas of baby house 19 wanted to do something for the children we said goodbye to...we were praying that we would collect enough boxes to provide a gift to each of the 115 children that live behind the walls of baby house 19.  NEVER would we have imagined that the Lord would use so many of His servants to spread the word and provide for His children.  As I'm typing this post...we have collected 189 boxes with more still on the way.  You...our sweet friends...have not only provided the children of baby house 19 with a Christmas blessing...but we have gotten word that an older children's internat located in the same region will also love to have Christmas blessing boxes for their children.  Isn't it amazing!  The children of 2 different orphanages will be receiving Christmas gifts this year...Praise God!

We still need your help!  Please spread the word...we are still in need of monetary donations to help cover shipping.  Remember...all donations of $25 or more are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

On behalf of the mamas of baby house 19...thank you for giving to the children of Nikolaev and providing a special Christmas blessing for each child that is still waiting for a forever family of their own!

Blessings for Baby House 19

    Operation: Christmas in Nikolaev 
         
Blessing the Children of Baby House 19

Please consider helping bring Christmas to children living in an orphanage in Nikolaev, Ukraine.  In conjunction with Circle of Hope, a charity located in Huntsville, Alabama, Christmas boxes are being collected to deliver to children in time for Ukraine’s Christmas holiday. There are approximately 115 children living in the orphanage, ranging in age from infant to 5 years old. Christmas boxes will be delivered directly to the children by a group of volunteers living in Ukraine.

Christmas gifts are going DIRECTLY to the children. This project began because of a group of families across the United States who have adopted  from this very baby orphanage and we will never forget the children we met there, still living in the baby house. Our wish is to bless each child on Christmas morning, and to give them something that will make them smile, something that is their own. Others are connected to this project because they believe adoption and caring for orphans is very important.

We want to help by sending Christmas cheer to the children we saw each day during our adoption journey and to remember all our children's friends still living in baby house 19.

Thank you for your support and for helping bring a smile to so many little faces!

How you can help:

1.Create your own Christmas box, decorated if you wish 

 

 2.You may donate items which we will then assemble into Christmas boxes (instructions below, if creating your own, we ask you please keep your contents between $5-$20)

3. Consider a monetary donation using the chip in button located on the sidebar. All donations over $25 are tax deductible. You can also mail your donation to Circle of Hope (a non profit organization located in Huntsville Alabama) P.O. Box 4921, Huntsville, AL 35815. Include your name/address if you would like to use donation for tax purposes.
Monetary donations will be used to purchase toys, clothing, gift wrapping and to cover shipping costs.

4) Follow along on this blog to watch as children receive their Christmas gifts! We will be posting pictures and updates! Our children who have been adopted out of the baby house are eagerly participating in this project!

Due to shipping time, all items will need to be ready for shipping on November 7th .

If you are located out of state or are not close to a drop off location in the North Alabama area, please ship your boxes/donated items to the following address by October 30th to ensure packaging and shipping to Ukraine: 

Huddle House 1802 Main Street East  Hartselle, AL  35640


Local Drop Off Sites:

ALFA Insurance
6124 Hwy 72 East, Suite D
Gurley, AL
Contact: 256 776-4215 - Stephanie Thorson
Drop off daily M-F between 8am - 5pm until Friday, October 28th

CrossFit Huntsville
(Behind The Matrix)
3228 B Leeman Ferry Road
Huntsville, AL
256-489-2278
Drop off Saturday, October 29th between 8am-11am ONLY.


Questions or want to arrange box pick - up?  Contact us at christmasblessings@rocketmail.com

Instructions for shoe boxes:

Decorate a women’s shoe box with the following suggested items, label “boy” or “girl” on outside of box and rubberband box closed. Please do not use a large "boot" box. Plastic "dollar store" boxes are ideal.
Socks – boy or girls, all sizes up to 5t
Underwear (girls or boys or all white for either)
Children's sunglasses,  hats appropriate for warm weather or cold weather (boys or girls)
Small toys – ideas include: barbies, Lego's, puzzles, crayons, action figures, dolls with clothing, hot wheels cars
Children’s gloves
Hair bows/barrettes (girls boxes)
New clothing (inexpensive) all sizes up to age 5
*Please do not include nail polish or candy*
Consider purchasing packs of inexpensive toys and dividing among boxes.

We thank you for helping make this a very special Christmas for so many little children!


"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”