$4000

Anyone been wondering what happened to your donations?  I've not walked off with them!  I've just been waiting until I got home and could easily upload pics to go along with the story.

I've sent two checks for $2000 each to India's Hope for SCH.  India's Hope is the American 501c3 organization for Sarah's Covenant Homes.  They wire the money to Sarah in India at very little cost.

So, with no further fanfare, here is how Sarah has spent your money (and she was absolutely thrilled to have it!!!)

Therapy supplies
Sarah met with her in-house physical therapist and he generated a list of things he's like to have to help the kids.  The box arrived the same day we did and here are Rose Bud and some of the children demonstrating the new "toys."

What we have here is a hand strengthening gadget, two different balance boards for strengthening hips and legs and balance, a velcro board for strengthening fingers by pulling off the velcro (the kids who tried this LOVED it!), a spring board (Sarah is installing the springs) kids have to push down on, an electronic muscle stimulator and a thing with weights to insert into the proper holes (Caleb is demonstrating this in the last pic).

On the afternoon of our visit, we were taken upstairs to the physiotherapy room to meet the physiotherapist and we interrupted this exploration of the digital thingy.  I thought it was so cool that he couldn't wait to figure it out!

This purchase was about 10,000 Rupees, or about $225.

There was also an order for some medical-type supplies including 2 examination tables that will be used for physiotherapy (they are currently just using a wooden table) and some baby-weighing scales.  This order was about 26,000 Rs. or about $575.  There are other things on this receipt, but I can't read what they are.

The Montessori order was completed before we left.  Sarah was ordering lots of wooden puzzles, alphabet puzzles and toys of various kinds, sorting toys, stacking toys and more.  I think this order was about $600.

There is another item which I can't read on the receipt and I can't remember what Sarah told me it was, so I'm waiting for an email from her as to what it was, but that total was about $660.  edited to add:  Forgot, it was 2 new school tables!  Happy, happy about this purchase, too!  They are similar to the ones we used for our classes and are very nice!  Thanks, Sarah, for the reminder!

And finally, I'm so excited that Sarah asked if she could use the remaining money to tile the courtyard at Victory Home!  They have the tiles and have had them for months.  They just haven't had to money to hire someone to do it.  The courtyard where the children play is currently a rough cement and an uneven surface.  This causes children with uneven gaits to stumble, makes it hard to push wheelchairs and is rough on the crawlers little legs.  I'm so pleased that Sarah can finally accomplish this goal to improve this surface, with our help.

Here are the tiles, ready and waiting (actually, this is half the tiles, the rest are on the other side of the courtyard.

So there you have it folks.  Your donations, no matter how big or how small, are making a big impact in the lives of some very special children half a world away.

Donations are still arriving, BTW, so if you intended to give something and haven't, please still send it.  The chip-in is closed, but you can send me a check, or you can give directly to SCH via Sarah's blog.  I'm going to send another check to India's Hope at the end of January.

Did you look at the sidebar?  We've raised $5000!!!!!  You all are so amazing and generous!

Thank you to:

Laurie, Steve & Mathias

Paul & Maura and family

Brack & Amy

Oh, and a note to Nonny & Grace & Jack:  The money you gave to RB for her trip--she only spent $40 of it on souveniers (mostly bangles) and she gave the rest to Sarah, with the request Sarah use it to buy jewelry for the new girls.  I think she said Sarah was going to buy them anklets!