It’s been a while since my last post. Sorry for that. I took a new job last January and have been very busy doing that job and also working with Circle of 12. We continue to support 7 children and their immediate families with food, medicine, physical therapy and other services on a case by case basis and available funds.  In this challeging time for all charities, it is your gift that is our life blood. Many givers want to see a water well, school or church being built. This is not our mission. Our mission is to help the special needs children and young adults who are often the forgotton ones.  We offer them hope for a better quality of life and leave behind smiles, and  sometimes even attitudes that change about special need people in the communities. Those are sustainable! We are always looking for medical professionals who wish to help. Please feel free to leave a comment or call us for more information. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

Like all of you, my heart breaks and my prayers are with the Haitian people after this tragic earthquake. Please send funds to organizations like Doctors without Borders, Red Cross, Oxfam, CARE, World Vision etc.  As most of you know, almost all the kids we help are Haitian and most have family still there.  I struggle with why Haiti gets continually hit with tragedy after tragedy. On the Circle of 12 side, you may remember that one of our kids Carmela, lost her mom to HIV related illness in December. She has a new caregiver helping her dad and we can restart some PT for her. Mailona is finally getting her new bed/crib and Nanetta seems to be doing better a month after her baby was born.  I am organizing a trip through First Baptist in Moorestown for October 23-30th. If you are interested in going, contact me via this website or via phone!  We have Circulo de Doce handmade bracelets available for only 10 dollars each and proceeds go to defray travels costs to the DR. A great way to show your support for what we do. Please feel free to leave comments and also visit us on Facebook.

Thanks for all the nice notes/emails around Christmas! Mailona I think I told you received her new wheel chair and the money has been sent for her new bed. We would like to welcome Greg and Pam as our newest Circle of 12 members. We are planning a fundraiser for late spring so stay tuned.  Also in the near future we’ll be speaking again at Drexel. There will be a group trip going to La Romana in October the 23-30th. If you are a medical professional or just want to go and help you can contact me for more details. As always, we need your help to continue helping others.

Mailona got a new kids wheelchair donated by Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana. Still need a new bigger bed for her. Nanetta had her baby on December 13th. She now needs your prayers and your donations to care for this child as she is a special needs child herself. Johanna seems to have adjusted to her amputation and is keeping a shoe on the other foot. Carmela who is about 3, lost her mom to HIV related illness last Friday. We have been helping out with PT, but are not sure who she is with now.  More information to follow.

Greetings from the Dominican Republic! I wanted to get a trip in around Christmas Time and make sure the kids new they were loved and thought of during Navidad. Mailona desperatly needs a new bed and full size stroller. All the others need more of everything: food, clothing, schooling. More later.

Do you have unused airline mileage from Continental or US Air? Don’t let it go unused. Circle of 12 needs it for travel and you can gift it as an in-kind gift. Please reach out to us if you have some that you know you won’t use. Travel is very expensive and we are looking for ways to cut our expenses. Thanks!

Circle of 12 just received notification that we have been selected for a Google Grant. This grant, which we applied for some months ago, allows non-profits to put together advertising for their organization using AdWords. Once a succesfl campaign is created, Circle of 12 will be exposed to the millions who use Google. Driving people to our website and hopeful increasing donations and interest in our goal to serve those with special needs in the Dominican Republic Bateyes. Stay tuned for more on this topic.

Thanks to all who attended our dinner/dance on Wednesday November 11th! We had some great auction items donated by The Eagles, Sixers, Flyers, Thunder and of course our good friends at Awfully Nice Tours! Thanks to those who did not attend but still sent a check! We had over 40 people in attendance and music by Als Pals, one of Jersey’s great bands doing everything from Beatles and Stones to Elvis Costello!  The next event will be in late Spring 2010. Have a great holiday season!

If you are on Facebook you can show your support of Circle of 12/Circulo de Doce by becoming a member of Circle of 12 on our Facebook Page.