Catching up...

Wow! Sorry it's been so long since this site has been updated. Here's the scoop from the past few months...

NOVEMBER PARTY:

Just a quick note to let you know that our party this evening was a big success! The kids loved making their Trees of Thanks, learning a few turkey songs (and singing them gloriously lots of times!), making turkey puppets and leaf pins. The older kids helped us add the ingredients for the Blessings Mix. Most fun of all was the look on both of the birthday girls' faces when they opened their gifts -- priceless!

This party could not have come together and run as smoothly without help from many hands. A big thank you to everyone who shopped and prepped for this party, and thank you to the volunteers who came out tonight to help host the party.

Also, as you may recall, we are alternating party nights between Mondays and Wednesdays as I got a mixed response for a good party night for everyone. In the interest of being fair, I hope that this will give everyone an opportunity to participate. I know that the parties every month will not always work with everyone's schedule, but there are plenty of things to do behind the scenes if you can't come to Hope House in person on a party night.

DECEMBER PARTY:

Wow! What a great party tonight! Tara Scheyer gave an amazing performance for the kids -- our birthday boy, along with the other kids were jamming with lots of fun shaking instruments and bells. They all looked so cute with their antlers and jingle bell necklaces, too. Then we had a special surprise when the Chick-fil-A cow showed up in his Santa costume! The Cow also brought a tray of chicken, lots of coupons for the kids and moms, and a special surprise for the birthday boy. A special thanks to all of the volunteers who showed up tonight to help with the party, and another round of applause goes to all of the volunteers who helped (a lot!) behind the scenes this month. Your time and efforts are appreciated more than you know!

It's hard for me to believe that tonight was our 23rd party as a ministry--time does fly! I cannot thank you enough for your support and commitment to this mission. I wish all of you could have been in the kitchen with me tonight when the birthday boy's mom (who could not be there for the party because she had to work and could not get out of it) came in to personally thank us for everything we did for her son. She said she saw him in the hallway and he was so happy. She gave me a hug, which I did not expect. A very pleasant surprise. It occurred to me more than once tonight how lucky we are that during this season of Christmas, we get to truly experience Peace, Love, Hope and Joy through the mission of Caring Candles -- I hope all of these stay with you in the coming days and throughout the next year as we continue in this ministry together.

JANUARY PARTY:

Just a quick note to tell you that last night's party was SNOW much fun! The sisters Gamma Gamma Sorority of the Alpha Delta Kappa chapter were very generous and gracious hostesses. We could tell a lot of time, thought and energy went into their preparations! The kids loved the snow theme -- and they went out of their way to make the birthday boy feel very special. We especially appreciate their flexibility, too, for going with the flow when we found out that one of the birthday children was not present and that we had 4 additional kids! That is just how it goes, which is why we're always prepared for any circumstance ;)

Next up for Caring Candles: February Birthday Party and our 2nd Annual Great Cake Giveaway!!

September Party Update

Just a quick note to let you know that our party last night went very well! The kids enjoyed shopping with their tickets to make up their own goody bags. Everyone loved playing Bingo, making crafts and scarecrow cookies, too.

A special thanks to all of the Caring Candles volunteers who came to help out to make everything run smoothly!

August Party Update

Last night's party was a great success! All six birthday kids had a great time and LOVED their presents, balloons and badges -- all of the extra things we do to help make the birthday kids feel extra special! We also got to work with new people from Hope House for the first time --- it was a very positive exchange all around. One of the new changes is that all of the moms and kids wore name tags, which was very helpful for us. We look forward to working with all of them to make the parties even better for the kids and our volunteers.

July Party Update

Just a quick note to let you know that we had a "whale" of a good time last night at our sea-themed birthday party! Special thanks to all of our volunteers who came to decorate, play and help with crafts, cake and clean-up. You're the best!

June Party Update

Wow! What a wild night: we started with a monsoon and it didn't let up from there--we stayed very busy all evening. Everyone seemed to have a good time, as usual, and that's what counts! A special thanks to all of the Caring Candles volunteers who braved flooded roads and soggy shoes to come out and party with us!

A few words from Hope House...

Here is a letter we received from Hope House last year:

"The children and mothers at Hope House are very grateful for the parties brought to our facility by the Caring Candles ministry at Wesley. Many of our children had never experienced a party especially for children. They have come from environments where children are just supposed to stay out of the way. They are in awe of all the trouble these folks have gone to to bring them joy. Every party has been a hit with special crafts and foods. We even had a fabulous magician one time! [now it's been twice ;] The children and mothers were entranced by the magic -- they still talk about it.

"Our children are very special to us, of course. They've come to us from homes where their lives were full of uncertainty and the adults unpredictable. We provide a safe, supportive environment where children can reach their full potential. We've watched children who have never spoken start talking. We've watched babies who were developmentally delayed catch up and surpass the normal expectations. We had one little boy recently tell his mother that there are no monsters at Hope House like there were at his old house. He told her he's in a safe place now.

"That's our goal. We want all the children to feel that Hope House is a safe place with adults they can trust. The people who come from Wesley are great role models for that. Thank you for letting our children know how special they are, and that it can be fun to be a kid."

May 2010 Party Update

Wow! What a night of magic and fun! As usual, Magic Mike was the consummate showman, even with his microphone on the fritz. He delighted and surprised even the most skeptical audience members. As is often the case for the kids who come to Hope House, there is an absence of positive male role models in their lives. We are happy that Magic Mike could bring such joy to them while he was there.

Special thanks to all of the volunteers who helped with last night's party. Thank you so much! Last night could not have happened without your help.

There are several birthdays coming up for the kids at Hope House over the next few months, so there will be lots of fun to come!!