When I started supporting the International Disaster Response Network (IDRN) back in December, it didn’t take long for my kiddos to catch on that “mommy was up to something,” and they wanted in on the excitement. I sat down with them at the computer one day to explain, the best I could to a three and five year old, what was going on in the Horn of Africa. We looked at maps and pictures while talking about what it means to be “starving.” I’m not sure Haley at three years old could quite grasp the concept, but Sean sure did and he was eager to help.
At the time, Sean was saving his money to buy a pair of Cars shoes, but shortly after learning about “the people with no food in Africa,” he came to me on day and said, “Mom, I don’t want to buy those shoes. I want to give my money to Africa because they have no food.” I tell you the kid melted my heart. It was in that moment we began to brainstorm ways he could raise money on his own to help the Horn of Africa. This past week we made “Mystery Bags” to sell and raise some money for IDRN.
We put all sorts of fun treasures in these bags: tea light candles, tea bags, Lindor truffles, old fashioned candy sticks, notebooks, and a bookmark. My friend, Veronica Johnson, crocheted all the bookmarks specifically for these bags. I attached a little information about the IDRN on the outside of the bags so donors could find out more about who they were supporting.
Off to my mom’s office and my husband’s office to sell them. Sean did a wonderful job explaining what he was doing and why these bags were important. He sold the bags for $2 each. Everyone was generous, and I was pleasantly shocked when a few people bought more than one bag. We sold out of all the bags before everyone who wanted one could buy one!
Sean’s ultimate goal is to raise $100 for the IDRN and he is a little over 1/3 of the way there. He is working hard to earn and save his money. His next money-raising venture he’s come up with is a lemonade stand that also sells cookies!
IDRN is actively working to get food to the people who need it most. Below are some pictures of the most recent food deliveries. These images are courtesy of the IDRN Africa Response Facebook page:
Food distribution from the last shipment has begun in Garisa...
Food arriving in Garisa...
Picture from the Wajir distribution in the Horn of Africa.
Food distribution in Wajir
Donkey taking part in the food distribution in Wajir
