Loving Hugs News

Loving Hugs, Inc. Gives American's Hugs to Children Around the World! (Turn your speakers on to fully enjoy)

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:31:00 +0000

A PASSIVE WAY TO HELP LOVING HUGS, INC. EARN FUNDING

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:25:00 +0000

Help send funds to support Loving Hugs, Inc. and our Programs for children in need around the world. This site gives you coupons to use when shopping at favorite stores on line. Choose 'Loving Hugs, Inc.' as your charity of choice, and when you shop using the online coupons, we will receive a donation thanks to your shopping- without your spending any extra money out of your pocket! Go to this link to start helping us raise funds-
http://www.couponchief.com/coupons4causes

Loving Hugs, Inc. thanks you for your continued support!!

Sincerely,
Wendy L. Clark
Executive Director,
Loving Hugs, Inc.
www.lovinghugs.org

Local Businesses Increase Help for Local Charity Business News Stories Littleton YourHub.com

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Local Businesses Increase Help for Local Charity Business News Stories Littleton YourHub.com

HUGS FOR HAITI 2010 - Brief slideshow set to music

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:16:00 +0000

A slideshow design by Smilebox

HUGS FOR HAITI AND BEYOND

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:17:00 +0000

HAPPY VALENTINE'S, EVERYONE!

HUGS TO HAITI

Loving Hugs, Inc. is receiving overwhelming responses from across the country from people wanting to help by giving their ‘portable hugs’ for emotional comfort and support to the children in Haiti. American children all across the country are earnestly and enthusiastically giving up their own stuffed animals (hugs), and getting their friends to join with them in sending us their stuffed animal hugs of comfort, to give to the children of Haiti and beyond. I’m proud of the children in the United States for being inspired to want to give their great loving gift!

We’re receiving wonderful email and phone messages like this one every day, expressing this earnest, compassionate desire on the part of children from across the country, and we are so honored and grateful to have them choose Loving Hugs, Inc. to help them make their desire happen: “Thank you for your thoughtful note and donation receipt. It was my 8 year old daughter, Isabella, who had the idea -- completely unprompted. She decided that her animals needed to go to someone who really needed them, and she tearfully said goodbye to each and everyone, and explained why she was sending them on. My husband found your organization to complete her wish. We are telling friends about you, as it's such a lovely thing that you are doing."
All the best,
Laurie"

Our first Hugs to Haiti were already loaded onto the USNS Grasp just before the earthquake, and its Course changed when the earthquake hit; and so with stuffed animals on board, the Grasp headed to Haiti. Our next bunch of hugs was loaded onto the Coast Guard Cutter, Oak, which deployed to Haiti on January 14th, two days after the earthquake...

A very special “thank you” to the U. S. Navy’s SOUTHCOM, Project Handclasp, CDR Lewis Preddy, LCDR Chaplain Joe Molina, CDR Chaplain David Oravec, and LCDR Chaplain Glenda Harrison! In and amongst the incredible people in our military, I have gotten the blessing and honor to get to work with these great people, or have them just step in and help with getting our stuffed animal ‘hugs’ to those precious children.

It always appears to be “…the impossible dream…” to also get the much-needed photos of our stuffed animals being given to the children in the countries where our hugs are going. I am very fortunate and honored to work with a thousand-watt smiling, super compassionate Super Hero, LCDR Tim McAlister. He and photographers, Chief Collins and Chris Lussier deserve an award, a Medal of Honor (!) for their ‘hugs giving’ and the photographs they have taken AND sent to me to share with all of you! All of the photos of Hugs For Haiti in this blog are from LCDR McAllister; some taken by him, others by his Combat Photographer. If you are on Facebook, please link to our Facebook Fan Page, “Loving Hugs, Inc.” to view more of their great photos in our Loving Hugs Photo Album. To keep up to date with the great good that is going on in Haiti, through our wonderful military, please log on to these Facebook Pages: USSOUTHCOM, Joint Task Force-Haiti, and the Project Handclasp page for Fans.

Here is what it’s all about in this touching email sent to me from CDR Chaplain Dave Oravec (with his permission), from on board the USNS Comfort in Haiti:

“I had another "teddy bear moment" today. We had a boy-- maybe 12- maybe 13-- arrived at CASREC (Casualty Receiving). He seemed to be right on the edge of being too old for a stuffed animal but I will always err on the side of grace. So, I fished out a little ram.
Coming into CASREC he was withdrawn, hurting-- seemed to have a sadness that many of our patients have. I handed him the ram-- he gave me a shy smile. I looked in on him later as they were moving his broken leg (which is a painful thing)--- the whole time he gently petted his new little furry friend. Beautiful!”

MORE 'GOOD STUFF'

We have recently teamed up with two fantastic organizations who are directing all visitors of their websites to the Loving Hugs, Inc. website, to get their hugs to children in Haiti and beyond through our organization. Their generosity and compassion for these children in need is what helps to increase and magnify the good being done for children around the world! I am deeply grateful, and want to give A Very Special Thank You to these two wonderful organizations for all that they do on a daily basis, and for all that they are doing to help us to get more hugs for more children in need overseas:

Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (S.A.F.E.): http://www.stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/ and

KidsKnowItNetwork: http://www.kidsknowit.com/. It is through their generosity and compassion that more people are learning about us, and what we do for children around the world, and sending us their hugs for our Program.

Friends, we need your monetary support – especially with the enormous increase in stuffed animal ‘hugs’ that are pouring in and the associated expense in getting them to the children in Haiti and beyond! You can go to our website to make a credit card donation http://www.lovinghugs.org/giving.htm, or write a donation check to:

Loving Hugs, Inc.

P. O. Box 270612

Littleton, CO 80127-0612

Your donation is tax deductible, and you will receive a donation receipt with our thanks and gratitude!

HUGS FOR MBANZA-NGUNGU

Students in The Loving Hugs, Inc. Hugs Sewing Program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa recently made hugs (stuffed animals for emotional comforting purposes) to give to orphans in Mbanza-Ngungu, Bas Congo, DRC, Africa. After an arduous 2-hour plus, one-way bus trip from the capital city of Kinshasa, the Founder and a few of his staff members from Les Ecoles du Coeur (The Schools of the Heart, the literacy and vocational school that we support), arrived at the orphanage with bags of stuffed animal hugs, rice, and cookies for the precious children.

Part of the sewing vocational training at Les Ecoles du Coeur includes the making of stuffed animals. The young women students, many single mothers, are paid by Loving Hugs, Inc for the animals they produce to give them some reliable source of income. We also pay for food to be purchased and delivered to the orphans with the stuffed animal ‘hugs’. This is a beautiful Win-Win-Win situation! I love serving the idea that “What blesses one, blesses all.” When it’s on this basis, it always comes full-circle. I am deeply grateful to Mr. Mayal Tshiabuila, my Partner in the Congo, and his staff at Les ecoles du Coeur, for doing this great activity for those children in Mbanza-Ngungu, and for doing such a great job! Everyone everywhere needs to know that someone cares, and to be given comfort and hope for their future. This is what we are doing in the Congo with Loving Hugs, Inc. and Les Ecoles du Coeur.

A 'Loving Hug' from Chaplain David Oravec, and Loving Hugs, Inc.!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:28:00 +0000

"BEAR POWER

(Chaplain David Oravec, CDR – Command Chaplain USNS COMFORT)

When patients arrive on the flight deck of the USNS Comfort they are carried into the ship by strong sailors and taken to a waiting elevator as quickly as possible. Several decks down is an area of the ship called Casualty Receiving (CASREC) which is much like a huge emergency room. In that area, there are doctors, nurses, corpsmen, technicians, chaplains and many others standing ready to provide help for Haitians in need. When the CASREC elevator doors open, the team springs into action, offering the best of care for those hurt in the catastrophic earthquake.

In a box in the corner of CASREC there is something else that has proven an effective communicator of love, comfort, and solace to our littlest guests. In this box, there are stuffed animals: bears, tigers, lions, ducks—you name it—and they come in all colors!

As a matter of course, at just the right time after the children have arrived, one of the staff thoughtfully picks the perfect one and gives it to these precious children who are usually hurting, upset, and afraid.

There is no need for words to be spoken in these moments. A gift is given and received and a message is communicated: “we care, we love you, we are here to help.” I’ve witnessed the power of stuffed bears, monkeys and giraffes in CASREC. I looked in on a wounded boy asleep with his new lion. I’ve watched children hugging their soft puppy dogs as they’re headed into the operating room and, yes, I’ve also said farewell to them in the discharge process as they leave the Comfort en route to an orphanage with a new cast, a tiny cane, and a fuzzy teddy bear as their friend. I pray that many years from now they will look at their animals under happier circumstances and be reminded that their friends from

America

came to help. I pray for that new day in

Haiti

and until it comes the Comfort will bring healing and bear power to those in need."

In a follow-up email on January 26, 2010 from Chaplain Oravec, he shared this beautiful observation with me that I thought you would also enjoy!

"I had another "teddy bear moment" today.

We had a boy-- maybe 12- maybe 13-- arrived at CASREC. He seemed to be right on the edge of being too old for a stuffed animal but I will always err on the side of grace. So, I fished out a little ram.

Coming into CASREC he was withdrawn, hurting-- seemed to have a sadness that many of our patients have. I handed him the ram-- he gave me a shy smile. I looked in on him later as they were moving his broken leg (which is a painful thing)--- the whole time he gently petted his new little furry friend. Beautiful!

Can't thank you enough. GB, GBH, GBA.

Warm Regards,

Dave+

Aka- Chaps"

Feeling some warm fuzzy loving hugs yet?

Sent with hugs of gratitude to all who are working so diligently to help the people in need around the world, and helping Loving Hugs, Inc. to accomplish our mission for these precious children who need comforting!

Sincerely,

Wendy L. Clark

Executive Director,

Loving Hugs, Inc.

www.lovinghugs.org

Facebook Fan Page: Loving Hugs, Inc.

Facebook Cause Page: Support Loving Hugs, Inc.!

Comfort is given to Haitian children Business News Stories Littleton YourHub.com

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:35:00 +0000

Comfort is given to Haitian children Business News Stories Littleton YourHub.com

A New Year Begins With a World of Hugs

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:42:00 +0000

Hugs for Orphans in Guyana

U.S. Navy Lt. Jo Guzmán, currently assigned to the U. S. Embassy in Guyana, S. America, gathered a few volunteers from our Embassy, including Captain Joe Vanty as photographer, and a few members of the Guyanese Defense Forces (GDF), to bring joy and smiles with our ‘hugs’ for Christmas to children in an orphanage where Lt. Guzmán volunteers to teach in his spare time. Below is an excerpt from two Guyanese newspapers about this wonderful activity of the giving of our ‘hugs’ to those precious children…

“EMPOWERING HUGS
Members of the U.S. Military Liaison Office (USMLO) from the U.S. Embassy in Guyana and the Guyanese Defense Force (GDF) united over the holidays to bring joy into an orphanage. Deputy Commander of the USMLO, LT Jo Guzmán, partnered with "LOVING HUGS, INC.," an NGO headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, that takes donated stuffed animals and sends them all over the world to children in need. The 'hugs' give the children a sense of warmth and love, which are so often missing in their lives.

You can see an immediate transformation in these children’s' eyes when they receive the hugs, a realization that someone cares. Guzmán organized this donation event on Christmas Eve to bolster the Civil-Military relations program between the GDF and the Guyanese citizens… Since the U.S. and Guyana share similar security concerns, these acts of compassion benefit both nations and enhance peace in the entire hemisphere. Poverty, loneliness, and desperation create a breeding ground for crime and terrorism. Leaders of gangs and terrorist groups capitalize on these harsh realities to recruit influential youngsters. By intervening with hope, the U.S. makes it less likely that these kids will fall prey to these evil networks. Without weapons, this aspect of the war on radical fundamentalism is vital to keep U.S. citizens safe, and today was another victory.”

Loving Hugs, Inc. has sent an additional 214 hugs to Guyana, which will also be distributed by Lt. Guzmán, and his military ‘hug’ and hope-giving group, to four or five additional orphanages. Those ‘hugs’ will help spread the care and loving outreach of American’s through their donations to Loving Hugs, Inc. As you can imagine, ‘hugs’ have an immense, full-circle of good purpose for all of us living in this world together. “Hugs” are so much more than ‘just a stuffed animal’! They represent love, comfort and a sense of security. News articles and great photos will follow. Stay tuned!

Hugs For Hospitalized Children in the Congo:

Loving Hugs, Inc. has been working on building partnerships and collaborations to provide self-sustainability for our Vocational Training Programs in the Congo. It has been one of my deepest desires to help bring together a partnership between Les Ecoles du Coeur, one of the schools that Loving Hugs, Inc. helps to support,(the school that we have partnered with for its Vocational Sewing and Woodshop Training Programs), and the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa. The hope has been to supply the hospital’s need for hospital garments and other sewn goods, and for hopefully supplying certain wooden furniture needs they might have, to bring income to our Programs for self-sustainability. The Founder of the school and I met with the Chief Administrator of the hospital when I was there in November (see November Blog with photo). Positive results have come from the wonderful meeting we had!

The first activity for good between these two organizations occurred on this recent Christmas Eve. Staff members from Les Ecoles du Coeur took our hugs made in our Vocational Sewing Program to the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, and were given by the hospital’s doctors and staff to the children being treated in the hospital.

A partnership agreement has also now been reached whereby our Vocational Sewing Program will start making the needed hospital gowns, supplying the hospital with the sewn goods they need, made by and supporting the local population, and earning much-needed income for our Vocational Sewing Program and the school.

The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital is the first hospital to have been built in the Congo in over 40 years. It was built by the still-famous former Denver Nuggets basketball player, Dikembe Mutombo through the Foundation that he started, the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation (www.dmf.org). He named this beautiful hospital in honor of his mother, Biamba Marie Mutombo. I could not have received a better Christmas present this past year, than the news that this great good is coming to fruition for our Vocational Sewing Program with this great hospital, in a positive activity that promotes Congolese helping Congolese for the greater good of all. What a beautiful and perfect Christmas present for me to enjoy with immense gratitude!

Hugs to Afghanistan Continues:

Thanks to our wonderful Partnership with Lamia-Afghan Foundation, 1,189 of our comforting cuddly hugs will be heading to Kabul, Afghanistan, starting the end of January. Our hugs will then be given to the precious children in the numerous orphanages in Afghanistan, to bring those children something soft and cuddly to hug close and hold onto, to help them through their fears and stresses. To find out more about this wonderful organization, you can link to their website from the Partners and Supporters page on our website (http://www.lovinghugs.org/partners_supporters.htm), or link to their website directly: http://www.lamia-afghanfoundation.org.

Hugs on Board!

One hundred fifty of our ‘loving hugs’ are now on their way to children in Belize and Guatemala, on board the USNS Grasp.

Founder of Local Non-Profit Talks About Life in The Congo Arts & Culture Stories Littleton YourHub.com

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:44:00 +0000

Founder of Local Non-Profit Talks About Life in The Congo Arts & Culture Stories Littleton YourHub.com

Turn on Your Speakers, Sit Back and Enjoy our Congo Show!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hugs for Children in Cebu, Phillippines, Hospital.

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Congo? Yes, we were there!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:32:00 +0000

VISITING THE SCHOOLS - WHAT A JOY!

We were greeted by the children and staff upon our arrival at the schools with standing drills, and rousing songs of welcome sung to us by the children. Once inside the classrooms, they showed off their learning by raising their hands to answer the questions of the teachers. The first school that we visited is the one which Loving Hugs, Inc. was able to provide almost half of the funds to purchase this new location and its buildings for this school. It was astonishing to see how many students are already attending so quickly, in this first opening quarter; the classrooms are already full and overflowing! There is such a need for providing education there!

We visited three individual schools in all. All are doing great and important work educating approximately 600+ students total, in literacy and general education. These schools need support to continue to provide the critical education to their people, to help move their country out of the chaos. Donor support for their education can be done through our organization (www.lovinghugs.org).

THE VOCATIONAL SEWING PROGRAM:

The Vocational Sewing Program is growing and expanding! Before arriving in the Congo, thanks to the help of Susan Johnson and Dr. Mimi Kanda of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation (www.dmf.org), I was able to set up a meeting with the Chief of Administration of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, Mr. Alexandre Manunga. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss possible collaborations between their hospital and our Vocational Sewing and Woodshop Programs. Many, many thanks and my deepest gratitude to Susan Johnson, and Dr. Mimi Kanda for their wonderful help and support! We could not have had this important and positive meeting without your help. Thank you so very much!

The meeting with Mr. Manunga was very positive, and included his giving us a wonderful tour along with their Chief Surgeon, of their beautiful hospital. We discussed possibilities for our Vocational Sewing Program to provide (for a fee) any of the needed sewn goods for the hospital, as well as any needs for things such as wooden shelving and tables from our Vocational Woodshop Program. This is what my purpose for this trip was… To see our Programs for myself, and to help facilitate the securing of collaborations on the ground in the Congo, to provide self-sustainability in Win-Win-Win situations with Congolese helping Congolese, for greater good for their people, through their own collaborative efforts. Much good has already been accomplished and realized from this great meeting! My gratitude is immense!

The story of the young boy from Goma, DRC, a patient at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital:

While visiting the children’s ward, I saw and was told the story by their Chief Pediatric Surgeon, of the young 11 year-old boy from Goma (where a number of the refugee camps are, and their horrific war has continued). This sweet, quiet, innocent boy was at home with his father and sister (his mother was not at home at the time), when rebels burst into their home, opening fire on them. They were flown to the Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital, thanks to a non-profit organization there. The sister has now fully recovered; the father was shot in both arms. He will never be able to fully extend his arms again (think of the repercussions: little ability now to earn a living to support his family, and cannot hold or hug his wife, or his children ever again). This little 11 year-old boy was shot to such an extent that they had to remove his bowel and small intestine. He will have to be fed intravenously for the rest of his life; he’s 11 years old. I wanted to wrap my arms around that little boy as he sat in a chair in his room looking at us, and we at him. When we started to leave, I smiled at him again (wanting so much to cry), waved and said, “Au revoir”! He waved back and said in his sweet little voice, “Au revoir”. It was a very powerful experience and a strong reminder for me that the ghastly war in the Congo continues to destroy hundreds of thousands of very innocent lives. It’s so ‘not right’, and so not fair. They need everyone’s prayers, support, and help. If you want to help, please contact me at: wendy@lovinghugs.org, or call (303) 948-0552. Whether you support our efforts to help or not, please send your prayers their way!

I have never been in a hospital where I’ve felt so much peace, and loving care in the atmosphere of a hospital, or from the staff, as I did when visiting the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, DRC, Africa. God bless them for their great work!

“Cinderella” goes to the Ball:

Have you ever found it difficult to pack the right things for a trip? Packing for our trip to the Congo seemed like a “no-brainer”; dirt roads, hot, humid weather during their rainy season… How was I to guess that I should have also packed my ball gown/cocktail dress, glam shoes and handbag? ! I would have felt just like Cinderella if I had only known!

I happened to sit next to the ‘right’ person at a Rotary Club meeting in Kinshasa, and ended up getting invited to, and given tickets for my husband and I to attend the Marine Corps Ball in the Congo! The Marines celebrate the birthday of the Marine Corps every year, all over the world, in every embassy where they are stationed- and we got to attend in the Congo! It was an amazing, never-could-have imagined, wonderful experience that I will always remember. It was especially meaningful since I work with the U. S. Navy with our Hugs Program. I’m not really Cinderella, but I felt like one, without the ball gown! I won’t go into the adventure story of what it took to actually pick up the gratis tickets for us at the U. S. Embassy in Kinshasa, but if you think of a Congolese Army soldier with an AK-47, you might get an idea…

There are many adventure stories to share from our trip to the Congo, but not the space, or your time to share them here now. There are stories such as; being stormed by a couple of Republican Guard soldiers of President Kabila’s Army with their AK-47’s; an ominous threat from a young man, just graduated from the University of Kinshasa, through our car window as we were dead-stop grid-locked in an incredible traffic jam, and could not have escaped... Then there are the many stories of the great people we met – warm, gracious, so very loving and generous! People invited us into their homes to welcome us with a feast - many times in many different homes! We loved our time in the Congo, and we loved the people we met. It was an extraordinary experience and trip. So much good was accomplished!

Hugs to Philippine Flood Survivors

Last but not least, is a photo from the distribution of our hugs to victims of the recent flood in Metro Manila, Philippines. Apologies were given me for the poor quality of the picture, but it still shows the story of children being hugged by the generous and compassionate Americans who send us their ‘hugs’ for these children in difficult, or troubling situations around the world.

Thank you all always, for your support, help, donations, and ‘hugs’!

Sincerely,

Wendy L. Clark

www.lovinghugs.org

October Loving Hugs 'Good Stuff'

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Some of our hugs have been given to children living in an orphanage for the deaf in Kenya. The photos of the children with their hugs in this month’s blog are from that wonderful hug-giving, thanks to our wonderful Partnership with Global Samaritan Resources. These children are so precious! Thanks Global Sam!

Over 31,000 children in need around the world have now received a comforting ‘loving hug’ (cuddly plush stuffed animal) from Americans through Loving Hugs, Inc. These ‘hugs’ provide a soft way to help them through the trauma and stress of their lives. We are grateful to everyone who helps by giving us hugs, and donating to our organization in all needed ways!

A CONTAINER OF GOOD!

Thanks to Ed Enzor of Global Samaritan Resources, who wrote a ‘blurb’ about Loving Hugs, Inc. for their September newsletter, Mr. Jim Mead of BKA Logistics, read and was inspired by the article, and has offered us some FREE space on a container he is shipping for some clients to Kinshasa, DRC, Africa (where our Programs are). This is a HUGE gift! Normally they have to purchase all needed items in Kinshasa. Most items available to them are made in China, and break down too quickly and easily. This slows down production, and costs money in repair bills. Jim is also helping us get our items to the east coast, where the container is being loaded. Thank you so much Jim for this generous gift of free space and transportation of the goods for our Programs! We appreciate you and your help so much! Because of this generosity, we are going to be able to provide the following items for our Programs, thanks also to the following organizations and individuals:

The Rotary Club of Westminster 7:10 in Colorado has donated 12 refurbished computers with monitors, keyboards & mice for us to start our much-desired computer training program and lab for the school that we help to support in Kinshasa. This will provide an enormous amount of good, including some future self-sustainability for this school. Thank you so much to The Rotary Club of Westminster 7:10, Colorado for their generosity and donation for this great purpose of good! We appreciate it!

Our vocational sewing program is growing (!), and we need sewing machines that we can count on to not breakdown so often! Thanks to the help of Jim Lanning of International Relief and Development, we may be receiving some great sewing machines in time to add to this container of goods, headed for Kinshasa. Thank you so much, Jim– As if you don’t have enough on your platter already!! I am so grateful to you for your help!

The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is donating school uniforms to Loving Hugs, Inc. for the schools that we help to support in Kinshasa. Parents in the Congo cannot afford to feed their children, or pay for education, let alone pay for the required uniforms for school children of all schools in the Congo! This is a HUGE gift that will help the parents of the students, as well as the schools that we are helping in Kinshasa. Thank you so much Susan Johnson and the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation! Your gift will be gratefully received in time to make it onto the container for Kinshasa.

Project C.U.R.E. is generously giving us some space in their warehouse to pack up and palletize these goods for Kinshasa. They are also allowing us to use their warehouse to ship from, in order to get these goods to the east coast where they will be loaded onto the container. Thank you so much, Project C.U.R.E. for your generosity and graciousness. We really appreciate it, and couldn’t do this without your help– and that goes for all of you!

THE U.S. NAVY’S INITIAL PLANNING CONFERENCE AND THE GOOD STUFF!

I recently attended the U. S. Navy’s SOUTHCOM Initial Planning Conference for their 2010 Continuing Promise humanitarian aid deployments. It was an outstanding conference, opportunity and experience! It even brought some immediate gratification, as well as the assurance of increased good that will take place with our Partnering with them for their 2010 deployments, to get our hugs to the children in need. We will need even more hugs! I want to thank everyone involved at SOUTHCOM for all that you do and give, and for partnering with Loving Hugs, Inc. for greater good for the children, and all of us!

While at the conference, I got an amazing tour of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, which is taking 1,000 of our hugs to children in need in Africa. What an amazing ship, with an incredible history of survival– in spite of running into a mine in the Persian Gulf, and cracking in two!

Thank you to Chaplain Black and CDR Preddy for setting up this amazing tour, and thank you to Petty Officer Worden for the outstanding tour of this ship! It was excellent!

SWEET INSPIRATIONS AND HAPPENINGS

I received an inspiring phone call from a woman named Denice, from Texas. Her daughter Carson, is turning 7 years old soon, and will be having a birthday party to celebrate her 7 years, inviting 100 of her friends. Instead of asking for gifts for herself, she wants to have a “Hugs Party”, so-to-speak. She is going to ask her friends to bring stuffed animals to donate to Loving Hugs, Inc. to help bring comfort to children in need around the world! Carson’s parents told me that this was Carson’s idea, and this is just the way she is naturally. She found us through an internet search. Thank you so much Carson for being the amazing and compassionate person you are (you inspire me!), and thank you to “mom and dad” for raising such a wonderful young person!

A woman in New York phoned recently to say that she was inspired by a recent article she read in a New York newspaper that someone had written (thank you to whoever wrote that article!) about Loving Hugs, Inc. She called from New York to find out how she could donate new stuffed animals to us for our Program. Inspiration ripples out to ignite and create increased good for children around the world! It’s Good Stuff!

My gratitude goes out to this world of great, good people who are so generous, compassionate, and supportive of increasing the good, and helping Loving Hugs, Inc. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!

Wendy L. Clark
Executive Director
Loving Hugs, Inc.

September News and Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:25:00 +0000

HUGS FOR CHILDREN IN GUATEMALA

A large group of precious orphans in Guatemala have been receiving our 'loving hugs'. These children were rescued by World Help. In the words of their Program Director, these children were "...rescued from the worst poverty and malnutrition imaginable. High in the mountains, these children are left or found on the brink of death from starvation. Our facility brings them back. I'd say that 3-4 out of ten die because they are too far gone to recover."

We are so grateful to be partnering with such great organizations, like World Help. Thank you for the great work you do for those children, for giving them our 'loving hugs' to help bring them some emotional comfort, and for these wonderful photos.

CHILDREN IN THE PHILIPPINES
GET HUGS

We've recently partnered with the Admiral Jeremiah Denton Foundation and FedEx to ship our hugs to children in need in the Philippines. Our first distribution was on August 21, 2009 to children in a medical center in Cebu City. The volunteers who distributed our hugs for us had such a wonderful experience– they want to do it again! They were greatly rewarded by the smiles on the children's faces when ‘hugs’ were given to them– as you can see in the photo above!

HUGS ARE ON THEIR WAY

Two large shipments of hugs just left Colorado for their new homes-to-be, in the arms of children in need in Mongolia, and Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa. The DRC is where we have our other Loving Hugs, Inc. Programs. Goma is also one of the areas where a large majority of the people fleeing the horrific, brutal, and ongoing war in the Congo are living in refugee camps, and also where we hope to get more of our hugs to; to help bring some emotional comfort to the young women and children in particular, who are very much in need of comforting there!

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

We have partnered with three more great NGOs (thanks again to Welford Walker!) who are helping us with bringing comfort to children globally. We appreciate these new partnerships with: IMECAmerica, Project C.U.R.E., and the Salesian Missions !

A GREAT IDEA!

Alex, a very special high school student in California, is starting a Loving Hugs Club in her high school to collect stuffed animal ‘loving hugs’ for our Program. This very capable and highly motivated young woman is also planning fundraisers to help pay for their shipments to us. The outstanding work done by this young woman will enable us to ship these hugs to children in need around the world immediately; she is an inspiration! Thank you so much for your dedication, hard work, and hopefully the fun you are having doing this, and especially for the children who really need some 'hugs'.

HUGS OF GRATITUDE

FOR GOOD BEING ACCOMPLISHED

We have now lovingly sent out over 29,000 new, or professionally cleaned ‘gently used’ cuddly hugs to children in need in 24 countries in our two years of being Loving Hugs, Inc.! We are so grateful for everyone’s help: Individuals who have purchased new stuffed animals, or donated their own gently used cuddly ‘hugs’; people and organizations who have donated in-kind goods needed; volunteers who have helped us at our fundraising events; and Girl Scout Troops, service clubs, schools and churches all over the United States, doing Hugs Drives and sending them to us for our global mission for children.

MANY HUGS OF GRATITUDE TO

PROJECT HANDCLASP

On the other side of that ‘coin’ are those organizations and individuals who deliver and distribute our hugs for us around the world. In this issue, we want to especially thank the U.S. Navy’s Project Handclasp for doing such a spectacular job in getting so many of our hugs to so many children for us. You can find this outstanding organization on Facebook as ‘Project Handclasp’; sign in as a fan to follow their good work. I want to thank everyone at Project Handclasp for all of the hard work, effort, and dedication you have put into getting our hugs to those precious children!

Loving Hugs, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in June, 2007 to help bring comfort and support to people in need, primarily children, around the world. www.lovinghugs.org.

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:22:00 +0000

INDEX TO AUGUST 2009 UPDATE

1. One of at least 3 Cups of Tea
2. Help from Howard

(a) Norm Illsley, Agricultural Engineer and Professor at CSU, Fort Collins, CO

3. Visit from Mr. Mayal Tshiabuila, Congolese Partner of the Loving Hugs Sewing Program, and Founder of Les Ecoles du Coeur, his literacy and vocational school we help support

4. Food Growing Program in the Congo

5. US Navy Delivers Very Special Hugs

6. A Sweet Inspiration

(1) One of at least 3 Cups of Tea - Tea with the Senator!

One recent early morning, while quietly sipping my morning cup of tea before starting the day, I was startled by the ringing of the telephone. On the other end of the line was Welford, my Caped-Crusading Cohort, and a great man who is a tremendous help to many of us ‘do-gooders’! “Good morning Wendy”, he said– “It’s Welford here, and I’ve got Senator Denton on a three way with me”, and made introductions. I tried not to choke from my excited and incredulous surprise, while I swallowed my sip of tea. What a wonderful and engaging phone conversation we had!

Senator Denton is a former Senator from Alabama (his son currently holds that position), a retired Rear-Admiral from the Navy, the Founder of The Denton Program and The Jeremiah Denton Foundation, former P.O.W. in Vietnam, and an American hero– and there I was in my kitchen, having a cup of tea with the Senator and Welford– What an amazing way to start one’s day! Loving Hugs, Inc. is currently working with his Foundation to get our hugs to children in hospitals in the Philippines.

Learn about this great man, and read about the new edition to his book he is currently writing at: http://www.admiral.dentonfoundation.org/index.html.

(2) Help from Howard

A Wall Street Journal newspaper article was sent to me recently by my father, about a man I knew… 26 years ago! The article told of the tremendous work he is doing through his concerted efforts in Africa (and other parts of the world), to help solve among other things, the problem of hunger and starvation in Africa, through his agricultural efforts and programs.

I had just learned about problems with my own Food Growing Program, with the corn that had been planted on one of the parcels of land, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa. I don’t believe in coincidences, so I got to work in tracking him down; not that I thought he’d actually remember me– it was a long time ago (!), and back then I was incredibly shy; but I believe in the philosophy of “You don’t succeed without trying.”

I tracked down the friend who had originally introduced us so long ago, and he gave me what he thought to be this man’s current addresses. I sent letters of inquiry with our brochure to every one of the addresses. This good man was about to be assaulted by letters from me, in every direction!

Imagine my surprise and incredible delight, when the message floated up on my computer screen that I had just received an email in my Inbox from 'Howard G. Buffett'!

I am so grateful to say that some people and things in this life don’t change. Howard is still the compassionate, giving, and kind man that I met 26 years ago! He has been so helpful in sharing his advice– when asked; some of his lessons learned from a lot of agricultural experiences in Africa, and giving me direction and leads to connect me with the organizations working on the ground in agriculture in Kinshasa, to help my organization. He has been so kind and so helpful, when he is so extremely busy and could so easily, and with every right– say he hasn’t time to answer my questions about growing maize and cassava in Africa!

Howard, among many other achievements (!), has been named UN Ambassador Against Hunger for The World Food Program, and I want to let you know that he has published a number of books (On The Edge, Tapestry of Life, Threatened Kingdom, Spots Before Your Eyes, Taking Care of Our World, Images of The Wild) with his own photography work done while traveling; these are all available for purchase. I thank him with my whole soul, for taking his very valuable time to give me what help he can. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Howard!

During this time I was also introduced by Welford (Cape-Crusading Cohort, mentioned earlier) to agricultural engineer, consultant to USAID, and professor at CSU, Fort Collins, Colorado, Norm Illsley. Norm has also been very helpful in giving me important and very helpful information about corn seed varieties that have been engineered to resist draught and disease in Africa, and where I might be able to find and purchase the good corn seeds in Kinshasa. Thank you, Norm!

Non-profit organizations such as Loving Hugs, Inc. could not succeed nearly as well in our missions if it weren’t for people like Welford, Senator Denton, Howard, Norm, and so many others who give so freely and generously what they know, and who they know in order to help us all to help each other, for greater growth and expansion of good for people in need all over the world. My great gratitude is sent to all of you!

(3) Visit and Update on Congolese non-profit partner in Kinshasa, Mr. Mayal Tshiabuila

Mr. Mayal Tshiabuila, our Loving Hugs, Inc. partner in the DRC, stayed in our home for 11 days this month, during which time my husband and I had set him up with a multitude of speaking engagements– sometimes two a day! What a blessing it was to have him here, helping us to raise awareness about the Congo; the war in the eastern provinces, daily life and challenges, government, education, street children- you name it, he covered it! The purpose of his talks was also to help raise needed funds to help support his school for the most vulnerable children and women in his area of Kinshasa. (photo at right, Wendy & Mayal)

Almost $5,000.00 was raised to help support his school during those 11 wonderful, busy awareness-raising days. We are so grateful for the contributions for his school. It is critical to educate their people in order to help move them– and their country forward and upward, out of their difficult past they have experienced. If you wish to contribute to this worthy school, please go to our website (click on the link to the right on our blog page), and click on the ‘Giving’ tab, then on ‘Cash Donations’, and note “Mayal’s school”.

One of the many needs of this school is for help with teacher’s salaries ($1,040.00/month), help with funds for the construction of the new school, purchase an adjoining piece of property so the children have a safe area to play in (instead of the street), and fencing around the property at their new location. Can you help?

(4) Food Growing Program

One year ago, the Food Growing Program started when I read an article about KickStart Siphon Irrigation Pumps in a magazine published by Heifer International. One of the men I’d been working with in Kinshasa, had shared with me that he had a small parcel of land near his school (a different school than the one we work with for Mr. Tshiabuila) that he wanted to plant and grow food on, to help feed the children at his school. The World Food Program (WFP) was no longer supporting Kinshasa’s meal program for children going to school, with their guaranteed daily meal for every child attending school– sometimes the only meal many of the children might get in a day.

With the thought of possibly growing food for these children by this school Founder (based on his earlier request for money to buy corn seeds), I sent an email to Heifer International for contact information on the KickStart Pumps. The next day– in the meantime, I was having lunch with a woman I’d just met 3 weeks prior, at an Africa Committee meeting for another organization. ‘Out of the blue’ she told me of an amazing woman she’d just met and had had lunch with the previous day. She then asked, “Have you ever heard of this amazing tool that this woman reps called, The KickStart Pump?” Honestly! –And the rep happens to live right here in our town in Colorado! Again, I don’t believe in coincidences…

After many emails back and forth with the Congolese partner for this new project, and with agreements discussed and promises agreed upon, Loving Hugs, Inc. purchased 6 KickStart pumps from Nairobi, Kenya, and had them air-freighted to Kinshasa. This partner added another partner, a man whom he trusted who had more land, and who was personally well acquainted with agricultural programs on his land. So from one small plot of land to be planted, we suddenly grew to planting over 21 acres of land, and employing over 200 people! Think of the multi-faceted blessings for the children and their families that could be realized!

Unfortunately, I have to report that our Food Growing Program has failed. My partner in Kinshasa was not faithful to his word, the work, or to our agreement, because he was focused on, and faithful to his other businesses that he runs. I believe that a food growing program for the local people is important, and so would need to be designed differently. It provides so many critically needed things: much-needed employment and income for families, and much-needed food for them. I hope that Loving Hugs, Inc. will be able to get another, different food growing program underway in the future; but if not, our focus will be on something else that can also help those people directly.

(5) US Navy Delivers Special Hugs

First! Read about the U.S. Navy's special delivery of these five very special hugs given to Wendy by 5 teens on the streets of Denver, staying at the Urban Peak Shelter, that have just been given by the Navy to a special group of children in the Solomon Islands.
Navy Article

Read the original newspaper article about the experience of receiving these five very special hugs, by five very special teenagers who were staying at the Urban Peak Shelter in Denver, Colorado in December, 2008.
Denver Post Article

(6) A Sweet Inspiration

I received a phone call from a young girl who recently had a Hugs Drive for her birthday party, and she now has a group of ‘hugs’ from she and her friends to donate to us– What a sweet Inspiration!

With joy and many loving hugs,

Executive Director,
Loving Hugs, Inc.
www.lovinghugs.org

Another Exciting Month for Loving Hugs!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:43:00 +0000

Welcome to the Loving Hugs, Inc. Blog - The first of our blogs – or maybe I should call it our blugs!

The purpose of our blog is to keep you informed of all of the good things happening and to keep you updated more easily with what’s going on.

If you wish to automatically receive any new postings (Since this is a new venture/adventure for us, I don’t know how often this will be; once a month? Twice-a-month? Or perhaps if there’s extraordinarily great news, there may be a Hot-Off-The-Press one every now and again), click on the ‘Join This Site’ button on the right in the green column, use a current account if you are signed up with Google, Yahoo, or other, or create a new account for yourself to automatically receive our Good Stuff updates. Or save the Loving Hugs blog address in your Favorites, or Bookmark, and catch up with us when you feel like it!

GOOD STUFF YOU MAY NOT KNOW YET:

As of July 28, 2009, in the two years and 1 month we have been a non-profit organization, Loving Hugs, Inc. has sent 27,755 hugs to children in need in war zones, IDP camps (refugee camps for Internally Displace Persons), orphanages, and hospitals in: Afghanistan, Benin, Cameroon (See photo at right), Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Darfur (Sudan), Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Liberia, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Swaziland, and Uganda– with more on the way to some of these same countries, and many others!

We have partnered with four U. S.-based International non-profit organizations whose mission it is to help the very children we want to get ‘hugs’ to, to help bring them some emotional comfort. They are wonderful to work with, and It has expanded and broadened our ability to get more hugs to more children in need in more places around the world!

We have recently gotten hugs to more children in Guatemala going through dental and palate surgeries (see photo at left);

We have a shipment of hugs right now headed for children in Darfur, and Swaziland, and a shipment of hugs leaving our ‘warehouse’ for children in Liberia;

See a photo of one of our bear hugs being held by a little girl before going into surgery on board the USN hospital ship, Comfort, with her mother, AND with the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe (photo below).

STAY TUNED! There are some exciting, great things in the works that I can’t wait to share with you when they happen! Strap yourselves in, and hold onto your hats! You’re going for a fun, wild ride of great Good Stuff!

With joy and many loving hugs,

Wendy