Carrie's Heart

Carrie's Heart Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Welcome to the Carrie's Heart Blog!

I'll be posting updates & photos on the blog on a regular basis. I hope this will be an effective way of keeping supporters informed of project updates, needs and upcoming events! You can also check out our Flickr photo albums and view slideshows of our pics from events & mission trips by following the link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriesheart/

Visit our website at www.carriesheart.org

Carrie

ARCHIVED BLOG ENTRIES:
Valerie Project - in chronological order March 2006 - present
Fund for Teachers Projects in the Yucatan - July 2006

Bowl-a-Rama

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:51:00 +0000

Carrie's Heart Bowl-a-Rama
Sunday, April 26th Times Square in Katy
12 - 3 pm

Registration: Due by April 24
Teams: Max of 6 bowlers per team
Bowling: Each team will bowl one whole game
Times: Be ready to bowl at either noon or 1pm
Buy a strike for $5!! Each bowler can buy up to 6 strikes per game and increase their teams chances to win!
Activities: Enjoy these activities before or after your bowling time: pizza, bottomless soda and cake; free pool; video games (paid by individual); awards ceremony at 2:30pm!!!

More info...at www.carriesheart.org

Condolences for Valerie

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Carrie,

I too felt so sad when I saw that Valerie's time had ended. I know you are heartbroken and I hope you heal soon. She was so lucky to have you in her life. You are an amazing person Carrie.

Take care,
Pam

Dear Carrie

I just wanted you to know how very sad we are to hear we have lost Valerie. You must surely be heartbroken and we have been thinking of you these past few days. I feel privileged to have met Valerie, because she was the inspiration for the work you do and because of her you have made a difference in the lives of so many others. As a parent, I am thinking at this time particularly of Valerie's mother, who now has a job and hope for the future, and for whom Valerie's life now has an even greater purpose.

God bless you
Chris

Oh Carolina ,

I’m so sorry that I apparently missed the email concerning Valerie’s passing away. I know you must be hurting so much. I hurt for you, and I will be thinking of and praying for you. I hope your trip to Mexico went OK. I wish I was closer.

I don’t have the words to express how much I admire all you do and how very special you are. The thing that always helps me is remembering that God doesn’t give us what we can’t handle. So while it might feel so overwhelming for a long time, your pain will get better. Love you lots. Let me know if I can do anything to help. Call me if you just want to talk to someone and someone who is always on your side!

Love,

Donna

Hi Carrie,

It is only by selfless love and efforts on your part and that of others involved with you that kids like Valerie have gotten to lead a better life. As her soul fulfills it's purpose on this earth and moves on to the world unknown to us, all that we can do is serve others in whichever way possible to better their lives.
Thank you for showing us the way to do so by letting us be a part of Carrie's Heart family and by being the torch in the life of so many who would have been lost in the dark without you and your mission.

Luv
jayani

We just got your email. Our hearts are so heavy with Valerie's loss. God has a new angel and Valerie has no more pain. We hope you are doing good...you were her angel on Earth - don't ever forget that.

Our love and prayers,
Sandy, William, Nick & Kaycee

Morning Paige
Am in
Europe and saddend by the news.was hoping for a long life and to meet this little girl one day.
Regards,
Kye Laffoon

Hi Ms. Conn,

I could not believe what I was reading. I thought I would get to meet Valerie and the other kids when I visit Mexico the next time. Please convey my sympathies to Valerie’s family.

Andrea

Olivia and I were truly saddened to learn about little Valerie’s death at the weekend. I can well imagine that you and Paige are heart-broken. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

What a truly remarkable little girl! It is quite obvious that God brought her into the lives of many, many people in order to open our eyes to the desperate needs of children like her throughout the world. Although her time on this earth was brief, she will most definitely live on in the heart of minds of those whose lives she touched. Her life has paved the way for others like her to live a better life, thanks in great part to your incredible work with Carrie’s Heart and the Valerie Project. No doubt during her short life, Valerie suffered great pain and sorrow. We must all be grateful that God has released her of all pain and suffering and picture her jumping from cloud to cloud in Heaven and giggling – God’s newest Angel.

May God bless you richly for all the wonderful work you do in Valerie’s name.

Fiona M. Espinosa

Hi Carolina,
Sorry to hear of Valerie's passing, but glad to know that there is more to life than here on Earth thanks to our Lord and Savior . What you did to help Valerie will create ripples for generations for those involved with her and with you. You may not know how many lives that you touched through helping Valerie, but God knows and it matters.
Thank you for all you do for children with special needs!
With sincere sympathy,
Amy Campbell

Bless you for helping to make Valerie's life happier and more comfortable while she was with us. Praise God that she is whole and well in Heaven now!I feel sad and happy at the same time. Valerie reminds me so much of my own daughter. Thank you for passing on this news. I pray that you have a good trip to Mexico. Blessings,Paula Adams

I just read your e-mail on Valerie and I am at work and I just broke in tears. Like the other e-mail (the one that talks about that now Valerie can eat her ice cream in heaven) and like my husband tells me about our little angel Marcela that when she goes to heaven, she will have a perfect soul and she will be able to talk and to do and do the things she can not do here in earth. I am going to pray for her mom and Valerie.
Bertha

I am saddened !! My prayers are with you and her family…thanks for all you do with these beautiful children!!, love, Trish

Carrie,

I am filled with the beautiful memories I have of sweet little Valerie! The news of her passing has come as a shock to me!

I can not even imagine how you must be feeling right now. Valerie blessed us all, but the relationship you had with her goes beyond any words. The fierce motherly love and advocation you expressed for her was so sacred. While I know that you are at peace knowing that she is freed from the constraints of her physical body, your heart is surely grieving for her as only a mother's heart grieves, and I am so truly sorry for the pain and sadness you are experiencing.

The journey of Valerie's road to better health, joy, and dignity truly
began with YOUR footsteps. YOU were the world to her. Valerie is now an angel among our world and in the heavens, and her sprirt will be watching over you and and your mission here on earth . The bond you had with her did not die with her, it will be with you always.

In honor of Valerie and in gratitude for the birth and life of my sweet Madeline, I have made a small donation to help continue the mission of Carrie's Heart. Thank you for what you do for these precious children!!

Love, Olivia

Carrie and Paige ,
I am so saddened to read this news. Valerie has indeed touched many lives. I feel comfort knowing that my own little angel will take care of her and show her around to her new friends in heaven . And yes , they’re probably dancing, talking and eating ice cream as we speak. I can almost hear the giggles.
I’m thinking of you and Valerie’s family tonight.
Orane

I am so sorry to hear this news. Although I did not know Valerie she has made an impact on my life. From the first picture I saw of her she was forever in my heart. I am praying for all those touched by her life. I am also so blessed to know people that have let someone else's life propel them to do what is so desperately needed. I thank you all for your hard work, dedication and love for all the kids you serve. It is with great pleasure that I learn from you all. My heart truly hurts for you all while dealing with this loss. It is never easy. I will continue to lift you all up in prayer.
Much love,
Jess

I'm so sorry to hear about Valerie. Her story was so hopeful. I'm sorry for your pain, as I know she meant a great deal to you and many others.
Paddi

I'm so sorry to hear about Valerie. You have worked so hard, and with
so much love, on her behalf and for all your other kids, I can't
imagine how you must be feeling. Please take care of yourself and let me
know if you need anything while you are down here these next days.
Tina

Thank you for that beautiful eulogy. Carrie, I will suffer with you as you carry this overwhelming grief. I wish I could take some of the burden off your shoulders. I wish I could write the grants and find the funding needed to sustain such important work as yours. What a blessing you are in so many people’s lives. I wish I knew how to manage real funding issues. Our gala is October 23rd. If you can attend, please be my guest, and stand and say something to new friends about the importance of valuing a neglected child’s life –that sharing the incredible offer of hope and dreams will bring light into a child’s life!

Love to you and let the strength of God be with you during this difficult time.

Terri

dearest carrie, i know your heart must be so heavy and your eyes filled with tears. but, forever you'll know, that for one little girl , your heart was open and she was loved. and her time here on earth was better because you found her and loved her. i am sure a part of your heart has a burning crack in it. valerie was sent to you as a gift. surely a darling, broken little package, who found love with you. to try to understand her short time is very difficult, but, i know, that because of your open heart she led you to an unbelievable humanitarian mission in the yucatan. your ability to encompass these children will always inspire me and make me so grateful that you and valerie were given to each other so that many children will have a better life. with love, doe

Dear Carrie,
I am so saddened at this news.
Bless you for all the love , hugs and smiles you gave Valerie.
I will be in touch..

Love you,
Cindi

For the past few hours I've been thinking of memories I'm so grateful for...

Do you remember that first Christmas when we just went crazy with the presents/decorations for Valerie? And once we saw everything we kinda looked at one another and laughed with a moment of regret thinking we'd over done it. I'm SO glad we did and don't regret a single thing.

And a hilarious memory... our slumber birthday party at the hotel! I still would do that all again, maybe minus Jaunito, even with all the crazy non-sleeping. You and I freakin' shared a double bed! What the heck? I'm so glad we created those memories with Valerie and love that she got to experience those things with us.

She deserved so much more but I am so grateful for what we did get to do with her.

Thanks for being there for all of us. I can't imagine how hard it must be and I'm grateful the boys are with you, bc they can understand a little of what you're going through.

Many hugs - Call anytime...

Paige Whitten

Dear Carolina,
I am so sorry to hear about Valerie. I am glad you able to be at her
memorial. If not for her, so many others would not have been helped. Her
purpose was greater than she knew.
Take care on your travels.
Mary

Carolina~
I FEEL the sweetness and beauty of Valerie's spirit just reading this e-mail and viewing the pictures. And oh, how I can relate in many ways. Tears are streaming. Just her smile alone will stand alone.

Can't wait till we get the opportunity to sit and share! Don't get discouraged, Carrie. Keep on doing what God has placed in your heart and in your soul to do. It's my prayer that God will increase your territory and increase the provision for the vision that He has placed within you!

Talk to you real soon.

Keva

Dear Carrie—

I am so sorry to learn of Valerie’s death. What a beautiful little girl she was—and what a difficult short life she had. Thank you and the rest of the Carrie’s Heart Family for making it better for her.

Best wishes,

Cia

No tengo palabras para decirte mi sentimiento.

te mando un abrazo.....tu amiga: LULÙ

Our Valerie

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Dear Carrie's Heart Family,

Before I travel to Mexico this afternoon, it is with overwhelming grief and sadness that I am writing to let you all know that our little angel, Valerie, has fulfilled her purpose on this earth and has now been released. I received news this morning from Cozumel that Valerie passed during the night. Her memorial service is tonight and I'll return on Wednesday. I can have peace knowing that when we were last with Valerie a few weeks ago she was filled with joy, laughter and light. This was because of each one of us who touched this precious child's life over the past few years. I will miss her smile and laughter but we will continue her work here in her memory and her name.

Many have already asked what they can do to honor and celebrate Valerie's life. We will be accepting donations to the Valerie project in Valerie's name to continue our work. Thank you to each of you.

The following links will help you remember what a remarkable life Valerie lived and the legacy she leaves behind:

http://www.carriesheart.org/valerieprojectsponsorship.html
This link is the homepage of the "Valerie Project" where you can see all of the children Carrie's Heart supports through this project.

http://www.carriesheart.org/meetvalerie.html
This link will take you to Valerie's personal page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriesheart/sets/72157600873734439/
This link will take you to our Carrie's Heart Flickr page that documents Valerie's life.

http://www.carriesheart.org/donations.html
This link will take you to the Carrie's Heart donation page where you can make a donation in honor of Valerie's life. You may choose to make a donation on-line using Paypal or send a check.

Please forward this e-mail to anyone else in your life who might have had contact with Valerie, but is not on our Carrie's Heart e-mail list.

Carrie

Here are words from a Carrie's Heart board member, Paige Whitten...

As tears stream down my face I feel a desperate need to share with you, our Carrie's Heart Family, my broken heart. Even though we only knew Valerie for a few years, she left a permanent imprint on every heart with which she came in contact. She communicated with all of us through her gorgeous brown eyes & infectious laugh. When we found Valerie at 8 years old, weighing only 13 lbs, we knew she needed us and in many ways we needed her. Her desperate need caused Carrie, and the Carrie's Heart family, to seek out other children with severe disabilities in the Yucatan region, thus creating "The Valerie Project." Her life helped save so many others & will continue to live on through the lives of the children in our Carrie's Heart family.

I'm grateful for the little time I got to be with Valerie because she taught me more about loving people... loving them unconditionally, looking for the good in others, and accepting them for who they are. Her life also reminds me of my own calling ... to help children with disabilities live their lives to the fullest.

I try to smile through my tears knowing our angel, Valerie, is dancing somewhere in heaven, eating ice cream (2 things her body wouldn't allow her to do here on earth) and being loved on by all the other angels, but the selfish part of me wishes I could've witnessed it here on Earth, as we had so much more progress to make with her. Just as I have hopes & dreams for my own daughter with a disability, I had those for Valerie.

All my love & tears today,
Paige (Mommy of Anna)

First Tuesday at Fish City Grill

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:45:00 +0000

First Tuesday at Fish City Grill
Tuesday, August 5th

First Tuesday is an all day benefit for Carrie's Heart at Fish City Grill in La Centerra in Katy. Carrie's Heart will receive a percentage back of the total sales for our group. We will be meeting for lunch between 11 and 2 and for dinner between 5 and 8. If those times don't fit your schedule come on in anytime during the day. The benefit also includes take out orders and catering.

This is a great event to bring new friends of Carrie's Heart to. We will have information about Carrie's Heart displayed at the event all day & we look forward to seeing new friends & old!

Karaoke Night was a hit!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:37:00 +0000

Carrie's Heart Karaoke Night at Wild Wings Cafe was a blast!
On Sunday, July 6th Carrie's Heart and Wild Wings Cafe hosted a Karaoke Night in celebration of Jordan Buckert's birthday. It was a ton of fun for everyone! A huge thanks to Wild Wings Cafe in Katy for providing karaoke for the event & for the wonderful service by their staff. The patrons were also so generous to our group & joined in on the fun! What a great place! Check out the pictures from the event by following this link!

Meet Sheyla

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:40:00 +0000

Sheyla is the newest child being sponsored by Carrie's Heart in the Yucatan. Sheyla lives with her parents and her brother and sister in Playa del Carmen. She is 11 years old and has cerebral palsy. She is nonverbal but very observant of all around her. Sheyla enjoys soft music, cartoons and car rides. Her family moved recently to Playa del Carmen from Felipe Carrillo Puerto (where we have 4 other sponsored children). Carlito's family has offered to help guide Sheyla's family in connecting them to local agencies that could provide Sheyla with needed therapies. Sheyla's needs also include adaptive equipment for the home (feeder chair, bath chair, wedges) and a stroller chair (Convaid type) for transportation. She would also benefit from stimulation activities for the home. Please consider making a monthly pledge or one time donation to Carrie's Heart during the Summer Sponsorship Drive for Sheyla or one of the other sponsored children in the Yucatan!

Summer Sponsorship Drive 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:04:00 +0000

This summer we kicked off our first annual Summer Sponsorship Drive in an effort to bring in needed funds for our children in the Yucatan at a time when giving is not always as frequent. So far we have had great success & each donation is being matched dollar per dollar! This is an incredible opportunity for us to raise the needed funds to care for our sponsored children into the Fall. For more details check out the links below:

Letter from the Board of Directors:
Letter from the Board of Directors

Printable Pledge Sheet:
Printable Pledge Sheet

Help us to Walk-n-Roll for the Carrie's Heart Kids!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:18:00 +0000

Giving the gifts of JOY, LOVE & HOPE into 2008!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:36:00 +0000

We just returned from an incredible trip to the Yucatan for Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of all of our Carrie's Heart supporters we were again able to give the gifts of JOY, LOVE & HOPE to our special children in Mexico.

Our journey began with getting as many donations down into the Yucatan as possible. Two special young ladies from the Katy, Texas community had spent part of their holiday picking out special gifts for our new little girl Lucelly. We had to make sure all the special gifts would make it onto "Santa's sleigh" and through Mexican customs without a hitch. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of DIF Cozumel, the Director of Aduana Cozumel & our local Carrie's Heart representative Rosy Pirez we were able to get in everything smoothly.

Having had delays in our flight we had to literally stuff ourselves into the car (our third "sleigh" of the trip) and set off for last minute purchases & to pick up Santa from the ferry prior to the beginning of the CAM Cozumel Christmas Party. We pulled everything off in time and the party was perfect. The staff & students at CAM Cozumel had spent weeks preparing decorations and dances for the audience to enjoy. The creativity of the production was incredible. The little dancing reindeer were adorable. Santa played by Roy Fisher of Playa del Carmen was enjoyed by all the kids. The children's faces were filled with the JOY of Christmas.

The greatest joy that I personally received this year was watching others on my Cozumel team as they for the first time experienced the overwhelming emotions of the fruition of all of their labors in watching the JOY on each child's face. The emotions felt after months of preparations, fundraising, shopping, coordinating, fixing, decorating...all coming out when you see that special child receive with JOY the bike that you had a part in giving him. Thank you to our driver, assistant, & friend...Jorge of Cozumel for sharing his first special moment of true JOY with us...you are hooked now! Another special thanks to Rosy Pirez and Directora Rita of CAM for all their hard work in making this party such a success.

The CAM Playa Christmas Party was equally as beautiful this year. Thank you to Lavonna Redman of Angel Notion for sharing her incredible pictures of her party that Angel Notion and the community of Playa del Carmen helped sponsor!

The time spent with each of our families giving out the gifts of LOVE & HOPE was very special. Each family was given gifts for the children in the family, special gifts for each sponsored child and a gift card to use for the holiday meal / needs. In addition this year Houston based massage therapist Jessi Dickson http://www.massagebyjessi.com/ gave each of our mothers a special gift. Each mother received an in home chair massage session and special personal care products. Such an unexpected gift for these women who work so hard to care for their families and have never experienced the gift of caring for themselves. Thank you Jessi for all of your tireless work!

Some highlights of the family visits include:

Barely fitting into our new Santa's sleigh...our driver & assistant Marco's new Suburban. We had it completely loaded with only enough space for four passengers as we set off to spread LOVE & HOPE to our families! Thank you Paige for the great mix of the best of 2006-2007 Carrie's Heart Christmas tunes CD...thanks to you are sleigh bells were a jing jing jingling!

Carlitos - using a lap desk brought from Houston & his new "Mi Primera PC" leap pad computer learning toy for the first time. Carlitos was amazing! Within 15 minutes he went from learning how to move the mouse to switching between games on the desktop! The lap desk & computer game were two gifts bought seperately by Jessi & Carrie...without knowledge of how he would need them both to be able to use his new toy. An example of one of our great serendipitous moments in Mexico!

Valerie - spending time with Valerie and her "boys" at Ciudad de los Ninos in Chetumal. Valerie is living with 5 boys who also have similar physical & mental disabilities at the center. She has a special relationship with Panchito who has claimed her as his girlfriend since she arrived in May. It is always a highlight of our trips having time to give JOY & LOVE to these special children. They all loved receiving personal care products, clothing, music and storybook CDs. We also spent time in Cozumel with Valerie's mother, sister & cousins. We continue to work with the family in preparation for Valerie's possible return home.

Jose- Jose's family was ready and waiting for Santa's arrival with camera in hand! It was wonderful feeling the warm reception of the family. To our surprise Jose greeted us in English saying "Welcome". He was so proud of the English he has begun to learn. It was an incredible experience celebrating our first Christmas with Jose & his family. One special moment was giving Jose a bracelet that told of the story of Christmas with each stone signifying a part of the story. Another was Jose's huge smile while taking a picture with his two new best friends Marcos (our driver & assistant) and Jorge Carranza Samano (our new Family Psycologist - who taught him his English!).

David's House - Wow! We were welcomed in by close to 40 friends & family. Our two newest girls Lucelly & Perla Ruby and a new boy Christopher (Age 13) were also awaiting us along with their mothers. Prior to beginning the gift giving we were served a special meal by the family - including much needed ice cold cokes. We had begun our trip in Santa's sleigh at 8:00 in the morning & arrived at our final stop with David at 8:00 at night, returning to Playa by midnight! Phew! After refueling we went about spreading LOVE & HOPE to our sponsored children. Each child was given a stock of personal care supplies, diapers and supplement as needed. Christopher received the donation of a blue Convaid special needs stroller. His mother will now be able to transport him more easily within town. Freedom. David was given the donation of a brand new adapted bath chair. His mother will no longer have to have someone hold him in a plastic chair while she bathes him. Independence & safety. Lucelly was given a small suitcase full of bathing supplies, clothing and special gifts. The most poignant moment of the evening was explaining to the families how Lucelly had been adopted this Christmas by two very special girls. How the girls had hand picked her gifts for her with much LOVE. It was especially important for the group to gain the understanding that the stroller chair received by Christopher was once used by the brother with special needs of one of the girls who had sponsored Lucelly. A full circle moment of the families feeling that they are part of a larger community of support....the Carrie's Heart family!

Gladys- Arriving to find the surprise that the family had been able to get their first furnishings in their home since we have known them. The family of 5 lives in a small run down one room rental home. Up until now they have had no furnishings whatsoever - only hammocks and a few plastic chairs. Glady's mother greeted us saying that they had wanted to be able to offer a home and a place to sit for their visitors. This is a HUGE step for this family in moving in the direction of a functional home environment for their family. The ongoing gifts of HOPE given to this family this year allowed them to have the extra finances to begin to create a HOME! We made the day extra special for Glady's mom...I took all the kids out shopping with us for their "cool clothes" while she had her home spa treatment!

Juan Diego - On the first night in Cozumel after the CAM party we had the opportunity to visit with Juan Diego's mom at the small convenience store owned by her sister where Leticia now has a part time job. We enjoyed visiting for about an hour and Leticia enjoyed receiving her extra special treatment by Jessi - her first ever "Mexican Mini-Super Plastic Chair Massage"! We also got to see the new bed that Juan Diego received for Christmas from Paddi & John of Amigos de Jose! Thank you Paddi & John for your work on that project!

Our wish is that the true feelings of each moment will come through in the words and the pictures that we share. Thanks to each of you & your support of Carrie's Heart Christmas we have already had the opportunity to spread your gifts of JOY & LOVE to our children in the Yucatan. We look forward to all the gifts of true HOPE that we, with your help, will continue to spread to our families throughout the New Year!

With JOY, LOVE & HOPE for 2008!

Carrie

Check out all the great Carrie's Heart Christmas 2007 pics on our

flickr page by following the link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriesheart/collections/72157603570076829/

Carrie's Heart Christmas 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:24:00 +0000

Carrie’s Heart Christmas 2007

The letters to Santa have now been written...and Carrie's Heart is getting ready to help play Santa to over 150 children with special needs in the Yucatan again this year! Santa can not make the wishes of all our children come true without all his helpers! Please consider making Carrie's Heart your charity of choice this holiday season....individually or along with your coworkers, church, school groups, sports teams, social groups & family.

Check out last year's Christmas pics on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriesheart/collections/72157600865859049/

JOY!
Your gift of joy will go towards 150 children with special needs
from the Yucatan region receiving their Christmas wish from Santa!

LOVE!
Your gift of love will go towards providing Christmas and needed
supplies for the six families currently sponsored by Carrie’s Heart.

HOPE!
Give the gift of hope all year long! Sponsor a child with a monthly
gift of hope to assure that their ongoing needs will be cared for.

For information on Carrie's Heart Christmas 2007 Events & Holiday Giving see the Carrie's Heart website Upcoming Events Page or contact Carrie @ carrie@carriesheart.org

Thanksgiving Mission Trip to Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:40:00 +0000

Greetings to all of you... I've just returned from another amazing trip from Mexico over the long weekend.

I'm exhausted and don't have the energy to give you all the details of one of THEE most amazing weekends, but wanted to share a few of these pics - sorry they are so big!

The greatest news is that we have 2 new little girls for our Valerie Project!

I'd like to introduce to you:
Lucelly is 7 years old and lives in a small Mayan community. Her mother is taking great care of her with the resources she has, but as you can see she is severely malnourished. (She is the one in the little red and blue short set.)

Perla Ruby is 5 years old and lives in Carillo Puerto. Perla's nutrition is good, but she is having seizures and is not on meds.

We will be working with these families to make sure they have everything they need to care for these beautiful little girls!

By the way, Valerie weighs 32 lbs now! Makes me want to cry just thinking about how far she's come. She is doing great, looks amazing and seems really happy!

Off to bed...

Love, Paige

Check out our little Val!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:30:00 +0000

Valerie is doing well & now weighs 32 lbs!!!

Meet Lucelly & Perla Rubi

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:20:00 +0000

Lucelly

Perla Rubi

Meet our newest children who will be sponsored by the Valerie Project. These little girls were brought to meet us by David's mother.

Lucelly's mother travelled two hours by bus from her small Mayan village to seek help for her daughter. Lucelly has cerebral palsy & a seizure disorder. She is 7 years old and currenly weighs only 20 lbs. We immediately made sure that Lucelly has nutritional supplement to last until we can see her again in December.

Perla Rubi suffered tramautic brain injury from a fall when whe was an infant. She has a seizure disorder that is currently uncontrolled by medication. In the short period that we visited with her she had numerous small seizures. Her mother is a single parent of both Perla Rubi and her infant sister.

We will update you on the progress of the girls. If you would like to sponsor one of these beautiful little girls please contact us at carrie@carriesheart.org

Fall Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:19:00 +0000

In this Update:
Mark Your Calendars!
Fall Yucatan Mission Trip Updates
Valerie Project Updates
After God's Heart Grant
Fall Local Events Updates
Coffee Talk News
Be An Angel Park Project
Carrie's Heart Christmas 2007
Presentations: Help spread the word!
Carrie's Heart Partners
Traveling to the Yucatan?
Volunteer Opportunities
Needs List

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Pizza for Presents - Carrie's Heart will be hosting a kick off party for Carrie's Heart Christmas 2007 on Wednesday, November 28th from 5 to 8 p.m. at Bollis Bros. Pizza in Katy. See the attached flyer for details. Come see the letters to Santa from our kids in the Yucatan!

Pennies for Presents- School groups in Katy ISD including the Best Buddies (Cinco Ranch High School) and Teen Leadership (Beckendorff JH and McMeans JH) will be participating in our annual "Pennies for Presents" spare change drive during the month of December. All types of groups and organizations are welcome to participate. Spare change will also be collected at our Pizza for Presents kick off party...so clean out those drawers, jars & piggy banks!

Carrie's Heart Open House- Mark your calendars for December 8th from 6:00 to 10:00 pm for the annual Carrie's Heart Open House. Invitations will be coming by mail and email next week. Join us for this special celebration of lives touched and promises for JOY, HOPE & LOVE for our children in the Yucatan this holiday season.

Coffee Talk - This Saturday at 9:00...see flyer for details.
Dunn Brother's Coffee, 6825 S. Fry Rd. #100
http://www.dunnbroshouston.com/

FALL MISSION TRIP UPDATES
August Mission Trip
During the month of August we had the opportunity to celebrate all of our summer birthdays in the Yucatan. All of the boys had their birthdays during August & September so we were able to celebrate with each child! Thank you to all who donated for their birthday gifts. Each boy received a birthday gift and some clothing. All the clothes were purchased new at some awesome clearance sales of summer clothes ($2 t-shirts & shorts at Walmart...wow!) The boys were thrilled with their new duds. Carrie's Heart board member Nora Nasr made her first trip to the Yucatan in August and really enjoyed getting to meet the children & families for the first time. In Nora's own words:

What touched me the most about our visit to Mexico this summer is the network of support you are creating for our families. From doctors to drivers to compassionate friends and sponsors, the circle of support for “our children” has grown quickly in the short time they have been part of the Carrie’s Heart family.

It is obvious that the relationships you’ve formed with our families are based on trust; the families know you do not judge them, you understand their circumstances, and that you have their best interest at heart. You were truly meant to find each of these families. I think they all know you will be involved in their lives for as long as they need you.

The parents in these families are inspirational. Look at how Juan Diego’s mom cares for, speaks to and dotes on her son, and you see the depth of a mother’s love.

Visiting these families in their modest homes was a humbling experience. I cannot imagine the difficulties they face daily, but despite their meager surroundings and trying circumstances, these families are proud and are doing the very best they can for their children.

October Mission Trip
The first weekend of October I made a quick trip down to the Yucatan to deliver tons of schools supplies to the special education schools that had been donated during our annual School Supplies Drive. The CAM schools in Playa del Carmen and Cozumel both received big tubs filled with construction paper, markers, glue, scissors and more! The teachers and students will be busy using the supplies to make their annual letters to Santa over the next two weeks. The letters will be brought back to Houston after Thanksgiving for everyone to see!

Our mission teams are growing! Carrie's Heart is joining with other professionals & organizations to work with schools & families in the Yucatan! Doctors, therapists, educators and volunteers from Mexico, the U.S. & Canada are beginning to pull our knowledge & resources together to better meet the needs of the kids! If you are interested in becoming a part of a mission team email Carrie.

VALERIE PROJECT UPDATES
All six children in the Yucatan who are sponsored through the Valerie Project are doing well. We had some health scares with both David & Jose in the late summer but both appear to be doing better. David's family was able to secure local assistance in getting materials to fix their roof that was damaged in the recent hurricane. Juan Diego is currently in Merida getting neurological evaluations. He went to Merida two weeks ago for his six month follow up & the doctor felt it was neccessary to do some additional studies because Juan Diego's seizures have become more intense and more frequent. If you would like to contribute to cover his medical costs we would welcome the assistance. Carlitos started first grade...and we got to visit him at school for the first time. We donated school supplies for he and his classmates. What an experience! Carlitos was a star for the day with all 35 of his classmates so excited to have visitors! Attached is our most recent Valerie Project newsletter...check it out!

GRANT AWARDED TO CARRIE'S HEART
At the beginning of October we received some exciting news! For the second year in a row Carrie's Heart was given a grant to go towards the work that we are doing through the Valerie Project in the Yucatan! The grant is from a private family foundation that contacted Carrie's Heart in the summer of 2006. The mission of the foundation is to seek out organizations to support that they feel are doing God's work. A foundation board member contacted Carrie's Heart because she was seeking an organization that was working with children with disabilities in the Yucatan! An internet search led her to Carrie's Heart. We are grateful that we have again been awarded the funds that will help to provide for our sponsored children in the Yucatan into the New Year!

FALL LOCAL EVENTS UPDATES
We have had a whirl wind of activity this fall with the start up of a new school year for our local children and lots of fun events!

Burgers for Books / School Supplies Drive
At the end of September we hosted our annual Burgers for Books event at Fuddruckers. During the event school supplies were collected for the School Supplies Drive. Funds raised during the event went towards the purchase of additional supplies and books for the special education schools in the Yucatan.

Trick or Treat Party
On Halloween over 50 ghosts & goblins of all ages enjoyed themselves at the second annual Trick or Treat Party co-hosted by Carrie's Heart and the Parikh family. It was a great party. All of the kids enjoyed refreshments and trick or treating. The parents all enjoyed getting the chance to meet one another for socializing & networking. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this party a great success!

COFFEE TALK NEWS
Coffee Talk resumed this fall for the new school year. Coffee Talk is an informal social and networking group for mothers of children with special needs. New moms are welcome at any time. The last Coffee Talk for the fall will be this Saturday at 9:00 at Dunn Bros. coffee in Katy. See the attached flyer for details. We hope to see you this Saturday. Coffee Talk will resume again in January after the holiday season. Moms who are interested in learning more about Coffee Talk or who want to introduce themselves can contact Paige Whitten at paige@carriesheart.org

BE AN ANGEL PARK PROJECT
Carrie's Heart was invited to serve on the committee of a very exciting new project for our children in our local Katy community. Houston based nonprofit Be An Angel and the City of Katy have joined together to build a new park for all children for the city of Katy. Community leaders, business leaders and local nonprofit organizations serving children with disabilities have been invited to be a part of the project. We will keep you informed about the project and how you can join in on making the Be An Angel park come to fruition!

CARRIE'S HEART CHRISTMAS 2007
The letters to Santa are being written...and Carrie's Heart is getting ready to help play Santa to over 150 children with special needs in the Yucatan again this year! Santa can not make the wishes of all our children come true without all his helpers! Please consider making Carrie's Heart your charity of choice this holiday season....individually or along with your coworkers, church, school groups, sports teams, social groups & family. Please see the mark your calendar section below & watch your mail and email for details to come in the next weeks!

Check out last year's Christmas pics on Flick:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriesheart/collections/72157600865859049/

CARRIE'S HEART PARTNERS
Check out our new partners tab on the website! Carrie's Heart community & corporate sponsorships are vital to our success in our local and international projects. We are continually looking to build relationships with businesses & community organizations. For more information please contact Paige Whitten at paige@carriesheart.org

PRESENTATIONS
Help Carrie's Heart spread the word about our organization and the work we are doing locally & in the Yucatan! We have developed presentations about Carrie's Heart for use at any type of group meeting in the community. If you belong to a group, class, organization or work place that you think would like to support Carrie's Heart please contact Paige Whitten at paige@carriesheart.org

TRAVELING TO THE YUCATAN?
Consider taking down supplies for the Carrie's Heart kids!
Will you or someone you know be traveling to the Yucatan? If so...please consider taking down needed supplies for the Carrie's Heart kids in the Yucatan. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Carrie for more details!

VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are needed for the following events. Please contact Carrie if you are interested in volunteering. Adults, students & groups (school, scouts etc.) are all welcome to volunteer!

Professional Volunteers:
Carrie's Heart is in need of professionals that can lend their expertise to the growth of our organization in the following areas:
Accounting
Non-Profit Law
Marketing / Public Relations
Grant Writing / Fund Development
Medical Professionals
Individuals interested should contact Carrie Conn at carrie@carriesheart.org

Pizza for Presents / Pennies for Presents!
Student volunteers are needed to help out at our Pizza for Presents event and to collect spare change for our Pennies for Present drive. Contact Carrie Conn at carrie@carriesheart.org or 281-856-6251 for details.

NEEDS
For a complete list of needs see the Carrie's Heart website at http://www.carriesheart.org/needs.html

New or Used Van: Carrie's Heart is in need of a new or used van (cargo, passenger or minivan). If you can help out with this need or have a contact that might be able to help us out please contact Paige Whitten at paige@carriesheart.org

Carrie's Heart Sponsored Children: When you are out grocery shopping each week please consider throwing a few extra items in the basket for the Carrie's Heart kids. This is a really easy...and important way that you can help out!
Nutritional Supplement: Ensure & Pediasure or equivalent, Duo Cal
Diapers: Sizes 4 & 5 & 6 (Jumbo)
Adult Diapers: Medium
Equipment: Used wheelchairs, walkers, adaptive equipment & PT equipment for children of all ages.

Specific Needs for the Carrie's Heart Kids in the Yucatan:
A bathing chair & a wheelchair for David.
Educational DVD's and computer programs in Spanish for Jose.
Kangaroo Pump Bags & BARD 18 F extension sets.
Lightweight winter clothing for Gladys(Size 5) & Valerie(Size 4) and all 4 boys (Boys Medium - Sizes 8 or 10)
Monthly sponsorship for Carlitos to attend school & purchase his educational materials / school supplies.
Suction machine for Juan Diego
Diapers - Size 4, 5 & 6 (Jumbo) and Adult M
Nutritional Supplement - Adult & Pediatric (all brands, liquid or powder), Duo Cal

Thank you for your continued support of Carrie's Heart!
Carrie

Upcoming Local Events

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 20:03:00 +0000

Carrie's Heart has some fun events planned for the new school year!

Coffee Talk: Coffee Talk will resume beginning this Saturday, September 8th at Dunn Bros. Coffee in Katy at 9:00 a.m.. See the attached flyer for details (see website for flyers - on Upcoming Events page) Moms...we hope to see you all there on Saturday! With all the preparations for getting the kids back to school we know that you can use a break for yourself! Let us treat you to a cup of coffee and some girl talk!

School Supplies Drive: Our annual school supplies drive has begun! Please throw some extra school supplies into your basket over the next few weeks! The schools in the Yucatan are in need of all types of school supplies for children in early childhood up to secondary programs. Please consider the weight of supplies purchased...in general we do not need paper products (notebooks, notebook paper etc.) other than colored construction paper and art paper. Jumbo crayons, construction paper, glue, children's scissors...are all favorites. Arts & crafts supplies like paint, glitter, sequins are needed for our holiday letters to Santa project. For a detailed list of needs see the needs list at http://www.carriesheart.org/needs.html

All donated supplies can be brought to the Burgers for Books event. If you are unable to make the event contact Carrie at carrie@carriesheart.org for arrangements for donation drop off / pick up.

Burgers for Books: Our second annual Burgers for Books event will take place on Tuesday, September 25th from 5 - 8 p.m. Mark your calendars & plan to have dinner out that evening. We set the time from 5 - 8 hoping that with all the busy weekday schedules you can plan either a late or early dinner with Carrie's Heart. If you have not been able to make it out to a Carrie's Heart social activity...this is a great one to come to. If you are a regular please extend an invitation to a new family that you may know. We will have information set up about Carrie's Heart and our activities calendar to be handed out. Help spread the word!!! A flyer with details about the event and the Fuddruckers Admission Tickets that must be brought to the event are attached. (see website for flyers on Upcoming Events page)

Local Events Sponsors: Individual & corporate sponsors are needed to help underwrite the cost of hosting our local events. This is a great opportunity for those who like to support their local community. If you or someone you know may be interested in helping Carrie's Heart in this way please contact Paige Whitten at paige@carriesheart.org

Volunteer Opportunities: Local events provide opportunities for students and adults to give of their time and self to others. Students can earn community service hours by volunteering their time at Carrie's Heart events. Adult volunteers are also needed. Have skills, an area of expertise, or a kind heart that you would like to share with Carrie's Heart? Contact Carrie at carrie@carriesheart.org

I look forward to seeing everyone this fall!

Carrie

Yucatan Fiesta

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:34:00 +0000

On Sunday, May 27th Carrie' s Heart held it's second annual "Yucatan Fiesta" to benefit our summer mission trips to the Yucatan. The event was held at Tequila Lopez in West Houston...a big thanks to the Lopez family for hosting the event for us! Despite the rainy weather everyone had a great time & loved the fajitas at Tequila Lopez. The raffle prizes and auction baskets were awesome this year! Daisy the clown from Smile Makerz was definetly the hit of the fiesta...for little kids & big kids too! A big THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who helped to pull off the event! We would also like to thank all of our local business partners and individual donors who gave so generously for the event this year.

Business Partners:

Tequila Lopez Heston Law Firm

Koz Printing Colonade Events

The Great Frame Up Goode & Co. Bar B Q

Slot Cars of Katy Houston Astros

Time Square Entertainment See What Develops

Harold Powell Avenue Nails

Cinemark Theaters Maridawn's Scrapbooking

Nestle Tollhouse The Wine Next Door

The Bath Junkie Coldwater Creek

Johnny Rockets Joseph A. Banks

Ceramics by Tess Chick-Fil-A

TGI Fridays Bolli Bros. Pizza

Life Time Fitness Julie's Cakes

Dunn Bros. Coffee Red Oak Grill

Yarntopia The Paperie

Houston Dynamos Houston Aeros

Alley Theater The Smoothie Factory

Smile Makerz

Individual Donors:

Elaine Monnig

Debbie Palmer

Angi Johnson

Paige Whitten

Carolina D. Conn

Tara Toney

Kim & James Heston

Kassi & Doug Daiker

Jessica Dixon (Massage Therapist)

Volunteers:

Angi & Bennett Johnson

Kim Heston

Terry Quinn-Reyes

Liz Shuler

Sharon Bippus

Rheana Pockray

Paige Whitten

Nora Nasr

Coffee Talk gets off to a great start!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Thu, 10 May 2007 18:18:00 +0000

Carrie's Heart successfully kicked off our monthly Coffee Talk this spring. Coffee Talk is a informal support group for mothers of children with disabilities in the Katy / West Houston area.

Coffee Talk is led by Paige Whitten. Paige serves on the Carrie's Heart board of directors and is a Teen Leadership teacher in Katy ISD. Paige is also the proud mother of a very special little girl named Anna & her little brother Cooper.

Coffee Talk is a casual Saturday morning get together for coffee at Dunn Bros. Coffee in Katy. Mother's of children with special needs of all ages are welcome to attend. Coffee Talk is an opportunity for mom's to get a moment away to relax, have a cup of coffee and visit with other women who share similar life experiences to their own. Through Coffee Talk we hope that our mom's can develop a network of support, share & learn, and take some time our for themselves!

Check the Carrie's Heart website under the Upcoming Events section to see when the next Coffee Talk is scheduled. You can also email Carrie at carrie@carriesheart.org to be put on our email list to receive updates about all of our events & projects. For questions about Coffee Talk or to introduce yourself please feel free to contact Paige at paige@carriesheart.org

Local Events & Activities Spring 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 01 May 2007 02:02:00 +0000

Carrie's Heart was busy throughout the spring hosting inclusive community events for the Carrie's Heart kids locally. We also worked hard & had fun raising funds for our local & Yucatan projects. If you haven't had the opportunity to join in on the fun - as a volunteer or participant - check out the website for our upcoming events!

January 2007 - Carrie's Heart celebrated our One Year Anniversary with friends, food & fun at Taco Cabana! Donations of supplies for the sponsored Carrie's Heart kids in Mexico were collected in exchange for raffle tickets! Thank you to all our local businesses who continue to help Carrie's Heart through donations of great prizes!

February 2007- We all enjoyed getting together for our first annual Ice Cream Social in celebration of Valentine's Day. Thank you to Piccomolo's for allowing us to host our social in their comfy corner in the Mason Rd. store!

March 2007- Carrie's Heart participated in the spring Cougar County Garage Sale to raise travel funds for our spring mission trips to the Yucatan! A huge thanks to all of our volunteers and to those who donated their "junk" for this good cause!

April 2007-Our first annual Bowling Bash was a huge success! Carrie's Heart along with the Cinco Ranch High School Best Buddies hosted a bowling tournament at Time Square in Katy. Carrie's Heart kids and their family & friends formed bowling teams and bowled their hearts out! Proceeds from the event benefited our local Project Potential which provides sponsorship for children with disabilities & financial need to participate in summer enrichment activities. A fun day of bowling for a great cause! A HUGE thank you to our individual and business sponsors for this event:

Impact Construction

Heston Law Firm

Gerken Insurance

Tom Mann Insurance

Happy Hounds

Health Tech Services

Kershner Financial Group

Katy Indian Association

Carolina D. Conn

Jayni Parikh

Wendy Dicken

Bowling Bash Pics!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 03:11:00 +0000

Nick enjoying himself with mom & dad!

Jordan & his family friend Rick

Kunal & "Ms. Conn"!

Anna with mom & Cooper

Corey...the pool shark!

Jacky & the "Princesses"

Kunal & Chris

Andrew bowling with a Carrie's Heart student volunteer

Joe Aron & buddies enjoying pizza!

Check out all of the Bowling Pics on Flicker!

Bowling Pics Album 2007

Spring Yucatan Missions

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:34:00 +0000

Throughout the spring Carrie's Heart missions to the Yucatan focused on moving needed supplies for our sponsored children into the region. We also focused on building relationships with all of our families. During home visits we collected information about each of child's family background, medical history, disability and overall needs. This information will be used for us to determine how to best help each family improve the life of their child in the home and community. We also continued to build relationships with local community members, visiting professionals, and organizations who are working with us on helping special children in the region.

A highlight of the spring trips was the trip that fell over Easter weekend. Semana Santa is a very special time in Mexico both religiously and also as a time to focus on family. As happens with many of our trips, we have to adjust & adapt our goals of the mission trip based on what is going on in Mexico or in the families' lives when we arrive. Often our best experiences are the ones that are unplanned! This was definetly true at Easter. Our goals before arriving had been to have meetings with each family to go over the beliefs of our organization and our expectations of our sponsored families. We quickly saw however that Semana Santa was not the right time. Our regular drivers were all on vacation & our families were all enjoying time with their family and church communities. So our plans shifted to enoying time with our families and their church communities! The experiences we had were incredible!

Our Easter celebration with each family was very special. We make "Easter Buckets" for each family to share with all the children & adults in the family. Our plan was to make Easter baskets...however no baskets were to be found...so we used wash buckets! A functional alternative! We filled each bucket with plastic eggs stuffed with candies & pesos, pan dulce, cookies & fruit. We also bought a special gift for each sponsored child and plenty of stuffed animals were donated for all the children! At every home we went to we were offered a meal or a drink! A very humbling experience when you consider the needs of the families and their desire to show us gratitude through their offerings. On Good Friday we arrived at Jose's house (a typical Mayan hut) only to find the family was not home. Thanks to the modern convenience in Mexico of almost everyone having cell phones we were able to contact Jose's father. Jose's father quickly arrived to the home and escorted us to their church. Going down winding dirt roads & up a rocky hill we arrived at the church in time to experience the end of their Good Friday service. An awesome experience! Paige, Doe & I snuck very quietly...and without notice (not quite!) into the church next to Jose! The expression on his face was PRICELESS! He was so surprised to see as at his church! The church was a very small open air community church made of stick walls & a palapa roof. The church community was extremely friendly and accepting of us being there. Following the service everyone stopped by to introduce themselves to Jose's friends. It was incredible getting the opportunity to see Jose in his community! After meeting everyone we took Jose and his family down to the van to give them their "Easter Bucket". We arrived at the van only to see that EVERY child had followed us to the van! Luckily our driver Carlos had spent part of the morning filling Easter bunny goody bags with candies and cookies that were intended for the buckets for the Cozumel families the next day. We presented Jose with his families' bucket and couldn't let the others miss out! We passed out all of our goody bags...and even had to begin passing out our melting mini chocolate donuts that Doe had brought along for the road!!! WOW! A great moment!

During Easter weekend on Saturday evening we had a birthday party for Valerie and her sister Veronica & cousins Lupita and Juanito. We had the great plan of slumber party for all the kids chaparoned by Alejandra (Valerie's mother), Paige & myself. We started off with dinner and playing at McDonald's in Cozumel. From there we went to our hotel room and set up the party - complete with cake and presents! Each child received a bathing suit, a new outfit, and a toy. For a group gift we bought the kids pool noodles & sandcastle toys for the beach. We watched movies, had cake and soda and played until way too late! By midnight all of the "chaperones" were wondering who's "great" idea it was to have a sleep over with 4 wide awake kids under 10! But watching Valerie's face light up with joy and laugther with her bubble machine...seeing her snuggle in bed with the other kids...seeing her excitement of having her first birthday party EVER...made it all worth it! Thank you to everyone who helped make the birthday possible...we appreciate all of your donations!

Easter Sunday was particularly special for Paige & I. Following the birthday party the night before we were a little groggy but the experiences of the day got us going! Alejandra began shuttling the kids home by moto. I bathed Valerie and got her ready for the day in her new Easter outfit. (The hair style in her pictures is my fault...I couldn't resist getting her the lambies for her hair!) To bath a child on Easter morning, who only a year earlier you had found close to death, is an overwhelmingly undescribable experience. To even top that...on the way to take Valerie home we saw Easter service about to begin in the main cathedral in the plaza. Valerie, Paige and myself went to Easter service together. Paige & I in our Carrie's Heart t-shirts for all to see...and Valerie in my arms! Changing hearts...changing minds!!!!

After the service we took Valerie home & set off to deliver buckets to Gladys and Juan Diego. All the families were happy to see us & were also perplexed by the whole concept of an Easter Bucket! Try explaining that in Spanish! Our planned trip to the beach for Valerie's family on Easter Sunday afternoon became an impromptu gathering of our families! We had a great time on the beach with Valerie' s family, Juan Diego's family, Jorge's family (our new driver & team member) and Alex's family. Alex is one of the student's at the CAM school in Playa that we have been working with! What a surprise to look up and see his family with us at the beach that day! One of our goals has been to create community amongst our families and to raise awareness in the communities that we are working in....we truly met those goals this day! It was great seeing all the kids and their siblings playing together...and the adults visiting and sharing their experiences!!!

A HUGE thank you to all who help sponsor the children! Whether you help by being a monthly sponsor, giving monetary donations, donating supplies & special items like gifts....or donating your time....we appreciate it all! Most importantly the families are grateful to you all!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ALL THE GREAT PICS FROM THE SPRING MISSIONS BELOW ON THE BLOGand YOU CAN CHECK OUT SLIDESHOWS OF ALL THE PICS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriesheart/

Spring Yuctan Mission Pics

Spring Yucatan Missions: Semana Santa Pics

A special thanks to all we supported the birthday & Easter activities this trip:

Donors:

Doe Stowell

Sally Crompton

Nora Nasr

Kristy Crawford

Lisa Williams

Olivia Pelech

Zuiloff Family

Angi Johnson

Paige Whitten

Carrie Conn

Carolina D. Conn

Spring Mission Team Members:

Carrie Conn

Paige Whitten

Doe Stowell

Patricia Carey

Angeles Esparza

Barbara Carlson

Louise Stafford

Gayle Hanna

Pauline Harper

Christine Thomas

Rosy Pirez

Marcos (Main Driver & assistant Playa - Carrillo Puerto)

Carlos (Playa - Carrillo Puerto driver)

Antonio (Cozumel driver)

Jorge (Cozumel driver)

Octavio (Airport transfer driver)

Spring Mission Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:09:00 +0000

Valerie & Lupita on the wheelchair lift!

Antonio loading up Valerie for an outing!

Lupita, Veronica & Valerie out on the town!

Juan Diego's mother getting to meet Valerie for the first time!

Paddi Davies blowing kisses with Jose!

Paddi & John Davies hanging out with Gladys. Paddi & John of Oregon have formed a nonprofit organization called "Amigos de Jose", named after Jose pictured above, that is also helping children with disabilities on the island of Cozumel. Paddi & John have extensive backgrounds in working with children with disabilities and their families.

John & Juan Diego

Carlitos and his mom & dad

David's Home - a typical Mayan style hut

The "Abuelita Maya" and the "Abuelita Guerra"

David's grandmother & Doe Stowell

Jose checking out all his new things!

Jose & Barbara Carlson

Spring Mission Pics - CAM Cozumel

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:00:00 +0000

In addition to working with our sponsored families, we also delivered a donation of school supplies to CAM (Centro de Atencion Multiple) in Cozumel. Utilizing schools supplies donations and funds from our fall school supplies drive we were able to give each classroom at the school some supplies specific to their classroom's needs!

Charity Badge Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:02:00 +0000

This March Carrie's Heart participated in the first Charity Badge contest through Six Degrees and Network for Good. Kevin Bacon, through his nonprofit Six Degrees www.sixdegrees.org, offered $10,000 matching grants for the individuals who could get the most donations on their charity badge during the month of March.

Dan Shoemaker, GM of TGI Fridays in Katy, chose Carrie's Heart as his charity of choice for his family & friends to give to in support of his efforts in competing in the Lone Star Half Ironman. Dan finished the race in 6 hrs 24 min and he helped to raise $145 through the Charity Badge & PayPal donations. Way to go Dan!

Although Carrie's Heart was not a winner of a matching grant, we did raise an extra $365 dollars for our sponsored children in the Yucatan! Thank you to all who participated!

You can still check out & badge and donate anytime by going to the Charity Badge link on the Carrie's Heart homepage or clinking the direct link below.

http://www.carriesheart.org/charitybadge.html

February 2007 Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie's Heart) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 19:01:00 +0000

Meet our newest Carrie's Heart Kids!!!!
During the December & January mission trips into the Yucatan, 3 new Carrie's Heart Kids were identified who are now be a part of the Valerie Project Sponsorship Program. We are in need of sponsors for all of the Carrie's Heart Kids. For more information on the children, pictures & sponsorship information see the updated pages on the website at: http://www.carriesheart.org/valerieprojectsponsorship.html

David:
David's picture was brought to us by Doe Stowell of Puerto Aventuras, a medical missions volunteer for Angel Notion. David had been identified through a Christmas party project led by Pauline Harper also of Puerto Aventuras. In interviewing families in "el poblado" the small community for the local workers of Puerto Aventuras, community volunteer Angeles Esparza met the family of David's aunt. His aunt's family had been identified as in need, however instead of wanting Christmas for themselves....his aunt asked for help for her nephew David. The true spirit of the season. She never imagined the path that her wish for help would take...and what it would bring for David & his family! A Christmas miracle! Help us make more miracles happen for David! http://www.carriesheart.org/meetdavid.html

Carlitos:
Oh Carlitos! What a precious little boy! Carlitos is so full of life and so eager to learn & use his body to be as independent as possible. Carlitos was identified by Angeles through word of mouth in her community. We met Carlitos in January. He was so proud the day we visited, showing us all he knew & all his "moves". Speech pathologist, Patricia Carey, of Canada accompanied us on this mission. Patricia has since gone back into the home & to Carlitos' school to work with his family & teachers on communication & oral motor development. Working with Carlitos will be very rewarding. He is fully integrated into the kindergarten at his community school. In his community there is not segregated special education school...so we are so lucky to be able to have Carlitos at the kindergarten. We plan to support his family & his school in his education to make his school experience a great one! Consider helping Carlitos stay in school! http://www.carriesheart.org/meetcarlitos.html

Jose
Upon returning home from the December mission trip...the first email that I opened was about my new love Jose. Jose's story is a very difficult one. Jose was identified by Angel Notion volunteers who quickly passed the information on to Carrie's Heart. We learned that Jose lost his mother about 7 years ago and since has gone between living with his father & a concerned community members home. Jose has suffered from severe breakdown of skin on his entire lower extremities due to poor seating & lack of knowledge of care by his family. Despite his losses & his living conditions Jose has a happiness and a peace about him that comes from a source greater than himself. I was told before meeting Jose that I would fall in love with him & everyone was right. Jose is a very special human being & I am honored to be able to be a part of his life. You will be too!
http://www.carriesheart.org/meetjose.html

Spring Yucatan Missions
Spring Missions to the Yucatan will be made in February, March & April. The focus of the missions will include:
Supplies: Bringing in the supplies to the families that is needed on an ongoing basis (diapers, supplement, personal hygiene, household cleaning products, clothing, medical supplies, activities / supplies for sensory & cognitive stimulation)
Mobility: Bringing in wheelchairs for sponsored children
Training: Training volunteers from the local community to work with the sponsored families as a liason for Carrie's Heart. Making home visits, inventory & purchasing of supplies, delivery of supplies.
Adaptive Equipment: Bringing in adaptive equipment / PT equipment for use at CAM in Playa del Carmen, working with therapists & teachers on the use of equipment for the students in the early childhood program
School Supplies & Teaching Materials: CAM Playa & CAM Cozumel

Our mission teams are growing! Carrie's Heart is joining with other professionals & organizations to work with schools & families in the Yucatan! Doctors, therapists & educators from Mexico, the U.S. & Canada are beginning to pull our knowledge & resources together to better meet the needs of the kids! If you are interested in becoming a part of a mission team email Carrie.

Presentations
Help Carrie's Heart spread the word about our organization and the work we are doing locally & in the Yucatan! We have developed presentations about Carrie's Heart for use at any type of group meeting in the community. If you belong to a group, class, organization or work place that you think would like to support Carrie's Heart please contact Carrie for more information.

New Carrie's Heart T-shirts
March is "Disabilities Awareness Month". Each year in March Carrie's Heart will be releasing a new Carrie's Heart T-shirt in celebration of diversity, acceptance & awareness! This year's design theme is "Opening Hearts...Opening Minds" and is bilingual representing our kids locally & in the Yucatan! The shirts will cost $20 for adults & $15 for students. Proceeds raised from the shirts will go towards local Carrie's Heart community events & projects. If you are interested in preordering shirts please contact Carrie.

Mark Your Calendar
Carrie's Heart has some great events planned during the spring. Come out & join the Carrie's Heart family.

Katy ISD Special Education Parent Conference & Resource Fair:
Saturday, February 17th 8:30 - 4:30
Carrie's Heart will have a booth at the fair. Come by the booth to pick up information about upcoming local events & projects. This conference & fair hosted by KISD is a very informative event with presenters & exhibitors offering a wealth of information for families.

Coffee Talk
Saturday, February 24th 9:00 a.m.
Dunn Brother's Coffee, 6825 S. Fry Rd. #100
http://www.dunnbroshouston.com
Moms....this one is for you! Moms of special needs children are invited to the first monthly Carrie's Heart "Coffee Talk". This is a time for moms to have a moment all to themselves! Come out to enjoy a free cup of coffee & visit with other moms on a similar journey of raising a child with special needs. We hope that through "Coffee Talk" we can create a network of support & friendship for our moms. We look forward to meeting you all!

Valentine's Ice Cream Social
Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream
1850 S. Mason Road
Date: February - TBA
It's the season of love & friendship! Invite your friends & loved ones out for a sweet treat in celebration of Valentine's Day! Kids are welcome to bring Valentines or goodies to share with friends!

Cougar County Garage Sale
Cinco Ranch High School Parking Lot
Saturday, March 31st
We need your junk!!! We want it all....BIG & small! A great way to help out Carrie's Heart...and to do your spring cleaning at the same time!!! All proceeds from the event will go towards the Spring Yucatan Mission Trips! This is also a fun event to bring the whole family out to!

Volunteers
Volunteers are needed for the following events. Please contact Carrie if you are interested in volunteering. Adults, students & groups (school, scouts etc.) are all welcome to volunteer!

Katy ISD Special Education Parent Conference & Resource Fair:
Saturday, February 17th 8:30 - 4:30
Volunteers are needed to help man the Carrie's Heart booth at this event. The booth will be set up & manned by volunteer Terry Quinn-Reyes from 8:30 - 10:30. Volunteers are needed to man the booth from 10:30 - 4:30 in whatever time blocks you may be available. Volunteers will encourage booth visitors to sign up on our contact list, give out information & answer general questions about Carrie's Heart.

Cougar County Garage Sale
Cinco Ranch High School Parking Lot
Saturday, March 31st
Volunteers are needed on the 30th for pick up of donated items & preloading of trucks / vehicles for early morning drop off. If you have a truck or large vehicle & can help with this...please contact us. On the 31st we will need volunteers beginning at 5:00 a.m. for donation drop up, set up of the booths & for sales of garage sale items and beverages. Everyone can volunteer! Be sure to wear your Carrie's Heart t-shirts! Volunteers will be needed in shifts from 5:00a.m. until noon. This event is a lot of fun!

Needs
For a complete list of needs see the Carrie's Heart website at http://www.carriesheart.org/needs.html

When you are out grocery shopping each week please consider throwing a few extra items in the basket for the Carrie's Heart kids. This is a really easy...and important way that you can help out!
Nutritional Supplement - Ensure & Pediasure or equivalent
Diapers - Sizes 4 & 5
Pull Ups- medium sized

Equipment: Used wheelchairs, walkers, adaptive equipment & PT equipment for children of all ages.

Specific Needs for the Carrie's Heart Kids in the Yucatan:
Nebulizer & a wheelchair for Juan Diego
Mosquito Netting & a bathing chair & a wheelchair for David.
Educational DVD's and computer programs in Spanish for Jose.
Monthly sponsorship for Valerie's mother Alejandra to begin working for Carrie's Heart on the island of Cozumel with our families & for Valerie to attend school. Tube feeding supplies - Kangaroo Pump Bags & BARD extension sets.
Size 3/4 lightweight summer clothing for Gladys.
Monthly sponsorship for Carlitos to attend school & purchase his educational materials / school supplies.
Garage Sale Items: We need your junk!
Bottled Water & Sodas: To be sold at the garage sale.

Thank you for your continued support of Carrie's Heart!
Carrie