Gifts in Kind

When I joined Twitter earlier this spring, I had no idea what I might be able to use it for. At first, it seemed like many random messages….how might I make sense of this all and actually use this to help children. Slowly, I began to build relationships and with some of the most kind and giving people I have ever met. One of these relationships was with a woman who didn’t live far from me, but her background was in a totally different area…furniture. You might ask….what do helping orphans and furniture have in common…. We found a lot! My friend, Leslie Carothers - @tkpleslie, is a social media consultant for furniture, specifically eco-friendly furniture.

Leslie and I have met in person a few times and always have the most inspiring conversations. The last time we met over pancakes, we talked about our work in our respective areas and then the wheels started churning. How could furniture help orphans? The answer to us both was easy.

Many children in orphanages don’t have their own bed, let alone a desk to study at. We have seen many broken cribs and know that the need for safe furniture for children is huge. Often babies are put two and three to a crib, in worn-out cribs painted with lead paint. Older children also may not have their own bed. We have slowly been working to help the orphanages by buying safe cribs, but the need is so great.

I have learned that many furniture manufacturers that sell furniture in the US and around the world manufacture their furniture in China. As the year ends furniture manufacturers may have excess inventory. We would love to be able to partner with these furniture companies, who have factories in China, and who would want to help improve the lives of orphans. This would be a win-win for these companies, as they could receive publicity, a gift-in-kind letter, and photos and information on the children who have been impacted. Just imagine how the donation of a new bed or a new desk could impact a child who has never had one.

Think of the impact that could be made if US companies who manufacture in China knew that so many orphanages were in need of essential supplies. From safe cribs to warm coats to life saving room heaters and more……we would love to have you help us brainstorm on even more ways to help those who live as orphans.

Do you have ties to any companies manufacturing in China? We would love to hear from you.

Karen Maunu
Changing the Lives of Orphans in China

How do you Serve?

On Monday, in the US we remembered all those people who have sacrificed their lives for our country. How very lucky we are to have all of our freedoms and choices available to each of us. There are so many words that come to mind as I think of these people who have given so much….”Service” is at the top of the list.

Also on Monday, Dr. Tom Morris, a philosopher, speaker, and former professor, started a thread on service from his Twitter account. Dr. Morris is a person that I love to check in with, because I learn so much and he always is inspiring. There was much discussion on what service means and from this, he was inspired to write a wonderful article on service at Huffington Post through this Link. There are so many great quotes from this article; I would love to share a few of them:

"Service lifts us up as we lift others up", "True service always inspires", "Service brings people together"

On a global scale, so much is done because we serve others. Over and over I see how lives are changed because people have taken the time to give themselves in service to another. People with passion and mission can change the world.

I am so fortunate to be able to volunteer with some of the most self sacrificing people I have ever met. LWB now has over 140 volunteers…an all volunteer run, virtual foundation. So many people have taught me much about service and passion to lead change. I have received far more than I have ever given.

What does service means to you? Is there a special project or mission you are committed to you? Have you been able to see a difference through your actions?

Karen LWB

Charity Day on Twitter

Bill Handy, an expert in social media, has a challenge for everyone. He has asked everyone on Twitter to promote their favorite cause. He has “spent an inordinate amount of time networking, researching, pondering, pontificating.” During his research he saw a lot of people talking about social change, but not a whole lot of action. http://billhandy.com/2009/04/04/april-7-is-psatuesday-win-my-money-for-your-favorite-cause/

Today, April 7, he has created #PSATuesday – or PSA Tuesday. His goal is two part. One, for people to tweet their favorite charity to get the word out about. To do this, tweet your favorite charity with a #PSATuesday tag. Next, donate, even if it is just a little, to your cause.

We would love for LWB and the good we are doing, to be spread around Twitter. We need your help to do this. Please use our Twitter name @Chinalwb and a link to our website http://tinyurl.com/dkpff6.

Follow us on Twitter at - http://twitter.com/chinalwb

Just One Word

Several of us at LWB have been learning how to Twitter, and for someone who writes stories which are always WAY too long, learning how to get a message across in 140 characters or less is quite a feat. (The rest of the team is doing much better than me at it, by the way). Today I was thinking about brevity and wondering if I would be able to sum up some of my experiences with orphaned children in just a few words. To challenge myself, I decided to only allow one word per experience. It was harder than I thought!

Give it a try. If you could only use one word to get across how you feel about adoption, what would it be? These will be the shortest comments in history. : -)

Amy