This week I'm continuing my latest blogging series called Cherished Charities. I was at a local Mayor's event when someone from another charity said, "No one has really heard of us unless they need us, it's so hard to raise funds." So I thought I'd create a small opportunity for people to share the charities important to them here. And I this week it's from Becca who writes at My Little Preemie.
Thanks so much to Becca for taking part:
1. Tell us a bit about you
Hello! I am Becca a blogger, and mum to Nova, a 2.5 year old toddler. Nova was born 11 weeks early in August 2015 weighing a tiny 1lb12. As a result of this she has been left with lifelong disabilities, and a rare condition called West Syndrome. She doesn't let this get in the way though. When I'm not chasing around after a two year old who thinks she's Spider woman, I can be found playing games (mostly Overwatch) with my fiancé. We also live with our seven cats, in sunny Birmingham! I guess you could say out house a bit of a mad one, but I love it!
2. What is the Cherished Charity you'd like to tell me about today?
A lovely little charity called Happy Mail! Nova was fist signed up a year ago when I stumbled across it by accident.
3. What do they do?
Happy Mail is a non profit organisation that sends cards and gifts out to sick and disabled children across the globe. They are able to do this thanks to the senders who do this using their own time and money. Many of the senders even hand craft their own cards to send to the children! It's like a big network of smiles and happiness, with children also sending to other children within the program!
It's really easy to sign up too, simply message the page and we can assign you a child anywhere in the world, its up to you what country you send to! You can also just send a one off card, so there is no commitment.
3. Why they are one of your cherished charities?
From a personal perspective, as a parent of a disabled child life can be extremely isolating. I have lost loads of friends because of what happened at Nova's birth, and because of how Nova is now. Just knowing that somewhere out there, someone cares enough about my child to want to put a smile on her face. That is why Happy Mail is so important. It's also important from a parent's perspective too. Nova getting mail makes me happy too!
Some of the children in the program are also going through some of the most difficult moments in their life, and unfortunately some of them have very life limiting illnesses and have been given just months to live. If Happy Mail can help make this time for these children as Happy as possible, by just simply sending a card, then its more than worth it to me.
I signed Nova up around a year ago, when I first got her diagnosis, and it was so nice getting cards off other people who also had the same diagnosis as Nova. I was also recently made an admin and co-owner of the organisation, and its so amazing seeing from the inside just how hard everyone works to ensure these children continue to get these cards through their letter box. Noone receives any money for running it, and many of the owners also send out over 30 cards a month to different children across the globe.
4. Are there any other charities you'd like to mention?
Happy Mail also run two "sister" programs, Sibling Surprises & Hospital Happiness Bags.
Sibling surprises is a program for the siblings of the disabled child. People often forget that being the brother or sister of a disabled child can be really difficult. Quite often their sibling's can take up a lot of time and energy from their parents, so they almost get pushed to the side. Sibling Surprises is aimed at reminding the sibling that they are just as important. And reminding them how awesome a brother or sister they really are!
Hospital Happiness Bags are small packs sent out to children who are in hospital. This can be for a routine operation, as a long term resident or as an emergency inpatient. The aim is to make the hospital stay that little bit more fun and less stressful. Each pack is tailored completely to each child and their needs. And each one is sent out by a volunteer, out of their own pockets.
Thank you again to Becca for sharing her thoughts with us as part of my latest Cherished Charities post series. If you'd like to highlight a charity as your Cherished Charity - please get in touch, I'd love to hear from you.
Read more from my series here.
Read more from my series here.
A great idea for a post. There are so many small charities doing amazing things, yet very few people know about them.
ReplyDeleteThis is an absolutely lovely idea - thank you for sharing it! Thanks for joining in with #TriumphantTales, hope to see you back again tomorrow.
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