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My Overthinking

Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption

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Building the Nest 2015

5.11.15

When we started The Sparrow Fund in 2011, we set out to give grants to families for the specific purpose of preadoption support, counsel, and medical reviews. We could do that; it was needed and filled a gap that we saw in the support out there for families, and it was manageable for us. We knew we would need to raise some money to keep it going. But, it wasn’t that much we’d need. But, a lot has changed since then. Mark quit his job a couple years ago to do nonprofit work full-time with another organization working in China. While we transitioned into that role knowing we needed to raise our salary {gulp}, we did not feel God calling us to end the work of The Sparrow Fund. In fact, we actually heard Him tell us to keep growing it in partnership with the full-time work. So, we have, responding to needs and walking in faith. Now, The Sparrow Fund not only gives grants but also provides training events and an annual marriage retreat and leads teams to serve at an orphanage in China.

But, none of that can happen without funding. We have monthly supporters and donors who support us so that we can do all this, but we also need funds to go straight to the programs themselves–the grants, the trainings, the retreats. We’ve gotta build the nest. As you can imagine, building the nest isn’t an independent task; it takes a lot of people to build that nest so that we can help others as they build theirs through this thing called adoption. And, we’re so thankful that so many have come around us and said yes to that.

All the businesses linked up below have joined us by making a really big commitment to donate 10% of their total sales during the month of May to The Sparrow Fund so that we can continue to serve adoptive families in a significant way.

Visit their sites, shop with purpose, and make that 10% something crazy. I know it can be.

Jewelry Design

Art and Design

Home

Clothing & Accessories

Photobucket

Special Gifts & Services

Sponsors for Building the Nest

To get the nest started…

Sparrow Sponsor

Norman L. Graham, Inc.

Norman L. Graham, Inc. is a premier builder of custom homes and additions in South Central Pennsylvania. From design to construction, every Norman L. Graham project is built with care and careful attention to detail. What better partner to build the nest than a company who is all about nest building.

Pearl Sponsor

Mervin Zimmerman Heating, Plumbing, & Air Conditioning

Merle Zimmerman Inc. has been serving customers as a family-owned business since 1968. The retail store and showroom near Lititz, PA, The Bath Barn, is a place to come to get questions answered, receive personal service, and be inspired by modern bathroom designs to make your dream nest a reality.

Rice Law Firm

Neal Rice became an attorney because he loves to help people. Being an attorney gives him the chance to do that every day. He counts it a privilege to walk alongside his clients as they journey through life including as they grow their family via adoption and care for their nest going forward.

Other Sponsors

Hey, I know it’s almost mid-May already, but it’s not too late to join the effort here and support adoption, the work of The Sparrow Fund, and allow us to tell the world that you do. Simply contact Wanda at The Sparrow Fund to learn about how you can be added to this post and future posts as part of Build the Nest 2015. She’s heading up this whole deal and is doing an awesome job getting the word out and growing that 10%. I love her. :)

No related posts.

Posted by Kelly the Overthinker
Filed Under: The Sparrow Fund, The Sparrow Fund May drive

Be a Blessing {Guest Post and Shameless Plug}

5.30.14

We were all hot and drenched with sweat by the time we reached the steep incline.  Hours of hiking the rugged country of Israel had left us drained.  But there was more to see just ahead, so one by one we tackled the climb searching for footholds and struggling to keep our balance.  Our guide had paused midway up the climb offering his hand to us in assistance.  However, nearly everybody in our group declined his help, perhaps not wanting to appear weak or tired or needy.

Once our group had made the climb and was ready to continue, our guide gave us a bit of an earful.  Why had we all declined his offer of help?  We were surprised by his question and stood silently.  He went on to explain that by declining his help we had denied him the opportunity to bless us.  Our declining actually took something away from him.

Whether we like it or not, we all need help from each other.  God designed us to live in community—in community with Him and with each other.  And in community living, there is help that is needed and help to be given.

The Sparrow Fund specializes in being on the helping side of things, in being a blessing to others.  What began as a fund to give grants to families to help cover the cost of medical reviews of a referral quickly grew to include training and speaking, retreats, orphan care trips, and offering whatever resources they could to adoptive families.  All of these “acts of helping” fall right in line with their mission: Encouraging and supporting families in the adventure of adoption.  The Sparrow Fund has made it their mission to help, to be a blessing others.  But, they can’t do it alone.

They need help.  This is your opportunity to be a blessing to them.

They need funding in order to continue to do the work to which God has called them.  Most of that funding comes from Building the Nest — an event that lasts for only one month.  One month to raise funding for all that they do.  And that month is May.

Tomorrow is the LAST day of May…the LAST day to buy from any of the businesses listed here and have 10% of the profits go right back to supporting the work of The Sparrow Fund.

So, on their behalf, can I ask you to take a look at the businesses involved in this year’s Building the Nest, and then make a list of all the people you will need to buy a gift in the coming months—birthdays, anniversaries, teacher gifts, Christmas, etc.  You need to shop for them anyways, why not do it now and shop with a purpose.  Shop knowing that your purchases are helping to continue the work of The Sparrow Fund.  By being intentional about your shopping right now — today or tomorrow — you will be a blessing to all of the families TSF supports throughout the year.

Each and every purchase will make a difference, and each and every purchase you make will enter you in a drawing to win an iPad bundle!  Just follow this link and leave a comment to the original post telling what you bought and you will be entered!

The Sparrow Fund exists to bless others.  Won’t you take this opportunity to bless them with your purchases?

                                    _____________________________

stephanie smit

Stephanie Smit

18 years in the classroom as a teacher was easy compared to parenting three little ones at home full-time. Through their three daughters, God has revealed Himself most clearly to Stephanie and her husband Matthew. He not only worked a miracle in giving them their biological daughter, He continued to show Himself in mighty ways throughout adoption journeys in China and Bhutan that were anything but normal. Nowadays she enjoys encouraging and connecting with other adoptive families through speaking and her work on the leadership team of “We Are Grafted In”.  You can read more about their family on their personal blog We Are Family.

No related posts.

Posted by Kelly the Overthinker
Filed Under: guest post, The Sparrow Fund, The Sparrow Fund May drive

it’s time again to build the nest

5.1.14

As our nest grew through adoption, our world changed. The kind of change that produces change. One year home and we were back to the paper chase. But, this time, rather than getting immigration approval, we were seeking 501c3 approval. We didn’t have all the answers and were only at the start of the adventure of adoption ourselves, but we knew we wanted to be a part of something bigger to meet the needs of families, big needs.

The Sparrow Fund was born. Initially, we set out strictly to give grants to families so that they could be best prepared for adoption through programs nationwide that give pre adoption counsel, medical reviews of a referred child’s file, in-country support when a family travels, and support once that family comes home. We soon added training events to support families who were still preparing for adoption as well as families who adopted children years ago. Then, we added an annual marriage retreat called Together Called when we sensed God’s call to do something more to specifically support couples. Finally, just this year, we added a trip to travel across the globe and serve at an orphanage in China to care for children and those who are called to serve them day in and day out.

Every May since The Sparrow Fund started has marked the season to build the nest, raise the funds needed to keep this fund going. All of us are volunteers, but these grants and programs require money…and a good bit of it at that.

Building the nest for The Sparrow Fund isn’t an independent task. It’s not up to me, thankfully. It takes a lot of people to build that nest so that we can help others as they build theirs through this thing called adoption. Thankfully, we’ve got a good number of people willing to say, “Yes, I support adoptive families too and want to help the work of The Sparrow Fund continue!”

All the businesses linked up below have joined us by making a pretty big commitment to donate at least 10% of their total sales during the month of May to The Sparrow Fund so that we can continue to serve adoptive families in a significant way.

Visit their sites, shop with purpose, and make that 10% something crazy. Then, after you do, go leave a comment here sharing who you purchased from and what you purchased. For every purchase you make during the month of May, you get one entry to…

win an ipad mini
 

Jewelry Design

Art and Design

Home

Clothing & Accessories

Photobucket

Special Gifts

Services

 

Sponsors for Building the Nest

To get the nest started…

Sparrow Sponsor

Norman L. Graham, Inc.

Norman L. Graham, Inc. is a premier builder of custom homes and additions in South Central Pennsylvania. From design to construction, every Norman L. Graham project is built with care and careful attention to detail. What better partner to build the nest than a company who is all about nest building.

Other Sponsors

 

 If you would like your store or business to be a part of this May fundraising event, please contact Kelly at The Sparrow Fund to be added to this post and future posts as part of this effort.

No related posts.

Posted by Kelly the Overthinker
Filed Under: The Sparrow Fund, The Sparrow Fund May drive

Trades of Hope for The Sparrow Fund {Giveaway}

5.28.13

When a few strong women get together, better prepare yourself for an impact on the world to be made.

When Holly and Gretchen and their daughters Chelsie and Elisabeth put their heads (and hearts) together, Trades of Hope was born. TOH empowers women around the world to create sustainable businesses. Their web store is full of beautiful treasures, but the most valuable treasures are the lives that are changed by income TOH provides to them via generous compensation for their wares so that they can pay their bills, send children to school, provide for their families.

trades hope Collage

In line with their mission to empower women around the world, they have a team of American women that is growing everyday who add a new label to that of wife or mother or teacher, etc. etc.—that of Compassion Entrepreneur. These ladies work together with unified heart and purpose—growing their business and empowering each other while being a part of something way bigger for women just like themselves all over the world.

I reached out to Trades of Hope to tell them about The Sparrow Fund and our heart and purpose to serve adoptive families. And, their genuine compassion overflowed. With a handful of adoptive families involved in Trades of Hope (including founders Gretchen and Elisabeth who have a daughter/sister from Haiti), they said YES and told us they were full-in to support our efforts to keep giving, keep serving, keep encouraging, and keep pouring into families. Trades of Hope generously donated $1,000 to start our nest building this month. 

They also offered to do a giveaway to all of you, just to sweeten the deal and drive traffic over here so that more people would hear about our fundraiser and efforts for adoptive families—a giveaway I’m certain will do just that since it’s three beautiful pieces worth nearly $70.

trades of hope collage

The Nepali Aqua Scarf, Tri-leaf Earrings, and Haiti Signature Bracelet – 3 of their top sellers. And, guess what? Since they’ve been following along with all that I’ve been doing this month with all the giveaways (and parenting 4 kids sans husband while he’s been serving overseas), they even sent all 3 pieces to me as a thank you! The giveawayer (aka me) got a super fun package in the mail herself! I can tell you right now that these earrings make me feel so cool (and maybe 10 years younger…). Have a feeling they are going to be my new favorites.

Enter to win these three pieces. And, go check out all the partners’ sites. (If you leave a comment naming just one thing you have ordered/purchased from one of them this month, you get an extra 10 entries for any of the giveaways going on right now…and there are quite a few!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May - circle - Building the Nest this may

No related posts.

Posted by Kelly the Overthinker
Filed Under: giveaways, The Sparrow Fund May drive

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