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November 22, 2006

Helping Babies

UPDATE: All 500 of the letters have been matched to a recipient! I just found out many of those letters will be going to YOU so wow! And thanks so much for being a part of this. The letters are on the way.

Well damn Kramer, happy Thanksgiving to you too.

I started writing a gang of commentary on Michael Richards' racist tirade and yeah, it was infuriating and depressing. Almost worse than the tirade itself, were the comments left on blogs that had posted the video. Comments like "get over it" and "LOL." Nothing like pure ignorance and racism to usher you into the holidays.

Anyway, I decided to scrap that because it's just too much. I mean, wow. Especially the part where the audience is laughing during his "apology" to the AFRO Americans on Letterman on top of the fact that the man truly believes he is not a racist. I'm sorry, come again?

Ugh. I'm thinking: Let's just be positive. So...

A good friend of mine, Marie -- a woman I absolutely adore -- who drove hours to pick me up when I was stranded in a hotel near Boston for an entire week after 9/11 is working on the following. Read it, pass it along to your friends. Get involved, if you like. I personally can't wait for my letters.

Dear Friend,

Last year, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our friend CNN National Correspondent Jason Carroll introduced us to Sr. Maryrose, principal of Cathedral Academy in New Orleans. That introduction launched our Santa Knows Where You Are Sleeping initiative, bringing the magic of Christmas to displaced children in need. Every child enrolled in elementary school in New Orleans last Christmas had his/her letter to Santa forwarded to you through Santa Knows Where You Are Sleeping. You responded with overwhelming generosity. When we ran out of children’s letters to distribute, you sent donations to the Junior League of Mobile, Alabama, which met the needs of an additional 1,800 children. This season, we hope you will open your hearts to the children of Kenya who are in unimaginable despair.

While you are reading this e-mail, children at the Stara Rescue Centre in the Nairobi, Kenya slum of Kibera are writing letters to you. An estimated seventy percent of these children are AIDS orphans, many of which are HIV/AIDS afflicted themselves. CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour's special "Where Have All the Parents Gone?" led us to the Stara Rescue School and its headmistress Josephine Mumo.

Josephine Mumo's Stara Peace Women's Group started the Stara Rescue Centre in 1994 when members of their organization began dying from AIDS, and their orphaned children came to them seeking food. The group stepped in and took it upon itself to educate and feed the children. They began with four children, and now serve 470 children aged 4 through 19. The school offers not only education Monday through Friday, but also a daily meal provided by the World Food Program. CNN’s “Where Have All The Parents Gone?” special captured the heart-wrenching images of the children stuffing rations of their lunch into their pockets to take home to their guardians, many of which are gravely ill. On weekends, the children compete with vultures picking through garbage dumps in search of food.

We have been exploring potential opportunities for months trying to determine how we could keep Santa Knows Where You Are Sleeping as personal and one-on-one as last year. Working internationally presents unique challenges and delays and quite honestly, we didn't know what was both appropriate during the holiday season and compassionate towards children who are starving and grieving the loss of their parents. This explains why we are getting a bit of a late start this season, but it is never too late to help a child. Our prayers were answered just this weekend when Josephine confirmed that she would oversee the letter writing by the children. She expects the children will request underwear, socks, shoes, clothes, toiletries/sanitary products/first aid kits, blankets, sheets and towels along with toys and food. Each child's name, age, gender and sizes will be clearly detailed on their letter.

The children's letters are due to arrive in New York shortly. We will immediately forward them to you. Shipping instructions will be indicated in the cover letter from us accompaning your child's letter. Your efforts to ship your package to Africa as soon as possible would be greatly appreciated considering the distance.

If you would like to receive a letter(s) from a child(ren) at the Stara Rescue Centre, please reply to MARIE@GRIFFINMARKETINGPR.COM with your:

NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
E-MAIL ADDRESS
# OF LETTERS REQUESTED

We are currently updating the santaknowswhereyouraresleeping.org website so you can also learn how to wire transfer monetary donations to the Stara Rescue Centre and/or send corporate product donations. Santa Knows Where You Are Sleeping is only possible because of you. Our most sincere thanks and appreciation for your support and generosity. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

With deepest thanks and warmest wishes this holiday season,

Marie and Maureen (Bunky) Griffin
Santa Knows Where You Are Sleeping
www.santaknowswhereyouaresleeping.org

Posted by melissah at November 22, 2006 10:35 PM