~~~~11/21/14 Update on the Writers and Readers Reach Out 2014 drive:

As of this posting, this year’s 30 days of thankfulness drive is at $12, 595.00, thanks to the incredible generous hearts of some of the coolest people on the planet! Our goal, to remind you, is $20,000 this year, to build a Hope House with my daughter’s Non-Profit, Hope Without Borders. You can read more and donate here.

We have ten days left! Can we do it? I say we can! Remember, everyone’s little becomes a lot. For further encouragement click on the image below to be taken to my Facebook page for a little video my BFF and I put together: Welcome to the Chick-A-Waga for Nicaragua 24 Hour Challenge.

You can also see this video on Youtube. Be a miracle with us!

Hugs, Shellie

~~~

And we’re off!

Writers and Readers Reach Out is a group of authors and bloggers who are setting out to BE a miracle together.  Together with our readers we’re kicking off the holiday season with a commitment not to simply articulate our thankfulness, but to express our gratitude in a tangible way on behalf of those who could never in their wildest dreams conceive of the type of holidays we’ll soon enjoy. We’ll taking the next 30 days leading up to Thanksgiving to give and to help motivate our own circle of friends to give with us!

In prior years we’ve partnered with various organizations, including Life Today and World Vision. This  year we’ll work with a foundation called HOPE WITHOUT BORDERS.

Hope without Borders is my daughter’s love child, birthed during a mission trip she took to El Salvador with International Cooperating Ministries.  But here, I’ll let Jessica tell you about that fateful day…

Out of all the churches and orphanages we visited, one stop changed me forever. I saw children with so little act like they had everything. We were visiting their brand new Hope Center. Smiling children took me by the hand and showed me their dining table, box of toys, bathroom and musical instruments. Their joy was contagious. I knew in my heart that regardless of what I saw, those little ones saw HOPE in that cement center, hope to be someone one day, hope to change, hope to create, and hope that they are loved. And they are. They’re loved by our Lord and Savior and each one of them are so very special in his eyes. Each deserve a chance to experience His love and His blessings. My hands shook as I looked at the hope surrounding me and I knew I had to be a part of replicating it again and again, instilling Christ’s love and hope into children living in conditions the world deems hopeless. Will you help me?

It’s Shellie again. It was a pleasure introducing you to my daughter. (By the way, Jessica doesn’t play. Several years ago she felt moved to raise the funds for an orphanage in the mountains of Rwanda and she raised the $30,000 to do just that!) I’m excited about partnering with HOPE WITHOUT BORDERS for this year’s 30 days of thankfulness drive. I believe that together we can raise the necessary $20,000 and build a Hope Center in Nicaragua! We’ll have pics soon of the community our center will be built in, along with introductions to some of the children we will be helping, so please check back. Now, here’s how you can get involved.

Readers:

1) Donate here.  Can you give a minimum of $20?

2) Send this page to your favorite author and ask them to join us.

Writers/authors:

1) Donate here. Can you give a minimum of $20?

2) Join us in our efforts!  Email me at shellierushingtomlinson @ gmail.com and let me know you’re interested in motivating your circle of readers. I will send you further details. I promise the communication will be short and sweet and super easy to implement. Let’s give hope this holiday season!

Bloggers/columnists:

1) Donate here. Can you give a minimum of $20?

2) I’d love to have you join us in our efforts!  Email me at shellierushingtomlinson @ gmail.com and let me know you’re interested in motivating your circle of readers. I will send you further details. I promise the communication will be short and sweet and super easy to implement. Let’s give hope this holiday season!

Hugs, Shellie

When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God. ~Charles L. Allen

Many thanks to the authors and bloggers participating in this year’s Writers and Readers Reach Out:

Lisa Tawn Bergen
Olivia deBelle Byrd
Kathryn Casey
Judy Christie
Deborah Coty
Dena Dyer
Leslie Leyland Fields
Patti Calahan Henry
Emily Gatlin
Jeff High
Rachel Hauck 
Kathy Howard
Ann Ipock
Sherri Wilson Johnson
Denise Hildredth Jones
Joneal Kirby
Jessica Maher
Kathy L. Murphy
Jolina Petersheim
Nicole Seitz
Carla Stewart
Sarah Stirman
Carey Tomlinson
Shellie Tomlinson
Karen White
Whitney Lett
Brandi Fitzpatrick
Frank Viola
Renea Winchester
Lisa Wingate
Karen Spears Zacharias