What you can do to help: Orphanages

This is a tough one.  How do we really help orphaned children here and around the world?  Spending time with these beautiful babies, it makes no sense to me at all how they don’t each have loving families.  I wish I could just take them all home!  But since I can’t and we have to start somewhere, there was one particular area I would like to focus on and help.  Nutrition.

The food they receive every day is pretty basic.  Clear soup, rice and sometimes fried veggies.  For snack I only ever saw them have cookies with frosting on them and sugary sweets.  One of my little boys, had his baby teeth already rotted away.  I’m not sure how in a country that is so bountiful in delicious fruits, they didn’t have any for the babies here.  Or FRESH veggies for that matter.  Obviously, I wasn’t with them all day, every day for every meal but what I (and the other volunteers) saw was clear, these growing children need a more nutritious diet.

So what do we do?  Though I left a donation for the children’s home, I want to set aside a special account just to get fruits and veggies into the bellies of these kids.  Set a certain percentage of all Love Infinitely Project donations to go into this special fund.  Perhaps set this up as a yearly donation.  Then we can follow up in person.  I’ve heard this is the case in many other orphanages throughout Thailand and other countries as well.  I’d love to visit and send you all out to see what can be done about this at orphanages around the world.

If we can’t adopt every child, the least we can do is make sure they grow up to be healthy and strong.

Like I said, we have to start somewhere.

♥∞

~B

  Follow B on Twitter in India: @iamsunshine78

Volunteer Week 2: Viengping Children’s Home

Coming off my amazing adventure at the Elephant Nature Park, I went straight into working at the Viengping Children’s Home, an orphanage just North of Chiang Mai.  In order to volunteer here, you must fill out an application and have it approved by the director.  My first day was Monday morning 11/21.  It took me a bit to figure out the bus system, but eventually figured it out and was there just past 9am.  I met with the director in her office to talk about my background with children.  Or in my case, teenagers.  But she assigned me to the “Sawasdee” Room which is where the 1-2 yr olds were.  Babies.  Once the children are 5 years old, they go to public school during the day.  So, babies it was for me!

Of course, they’re the cutest little babies you ever did see!  There were about 10 in the 1-2 year old group and 10 in the 2-3 year old group.  From the time volunteers arrive at 9am until 10:30am they have play time.  Followed by lunch, nap (volunteer lunch) and more play and activities after that.  The type of play and activity depends on the number of volunteers, staff and what day it is.  It was a little confusing at first because only the director spoke English, but by Day 2 I was getting the rhythm of the place.

On average there were only about 3 volunteers, a mix of locals and some foreigners.  One man from the US has been volunteering there for about 3 months.  I got a lot more information from him as it was difficult for me to communicate with the staff.  We each took 1 or 2 children at a time to go play.  We’d go on walks, play on the playground, ride the big wheels or go into the mini gymnasium.  One day, we all went on a big walk to the grass area behind the Home for Boys.  Volunteers aren’t allowed to take pictures but I snuck a few in with my phone that day.  All the babies were curious as to what it was.

Every day the babies would greet me at the gate to their playroom with their arms stretched up.  Every day they had to pry them off of me to go to lunch.  (Babies don’t like lunch because they know playtime is over. )  The babies were such a fun treat to be with every day because they wonder and marvel at everything.  All is new to them.  Also, they are just barely learning to speak so it is fun to teach them new words.  Their environment is so bright and colorful with educational games at every turn.  Though they don’t have individual toys, they do have a toy area with tricycles and big wheels.

There is one more group of 1-3 year olds, the babies with HIV/AIDS.  Volunteers aren’t allowed to go with them and neither are the other children.  As babies, they are kept in their own building and their staff takes them out to play separately.  Once these children are old enough, they will be incorporated into the rest of the group, but as babies, they are just too fragile.  Then there is the newborns.  The tiny babies!  Only staff is allowed to go into the nursery.  I would catch the nurses taking the littlest ones out for strolls.  Just adorable! 

I didn’t realize just how much the entire experience had touched me until it was time to say goodbye.  My last day, there were more volunteers than the rest of the week, probably about 8-10.  After we got the kids in and I’d squeezed them all one last time, I spoke with a few of the new volunteers about my experience at Viengping.  I became a bit emotional talking about each of the babies.  Wishing I had more time.  I still think about my little ones every day. Especially what they must have thought the day I didn’t show up for playtime.  It was so much harder leaving them than I ever imagined.  I then walked to the office to talk to the director and she held both my hands as I, through tears, thanked her for letting me volunteer.  Then I cried leaving the grounds and on the bus back into the city.

If I could have changed one thing about my trip, I would have extended my stay in Thailand.  I don’t feel like my work with the children of Viengping is done.  There is so much more I would have liked to have accomplished.  Which means, I’ll probably be headed back there again.  Hopefully with a team.

♥∞

~B

  Follow B on Twitter in India: @iamsunshine78

Girl Who Is Changing the World: Brenda Rodriguez

“Happiness hit her like a train on a track”

~ Florence and the Machine

Hi everyone! Now that Brenda is fully immersed into Fall Into Adventure we’ve taken over the blog to wish her a very special birthday by honoring her as the Girl Who’s Changing the World. Brenda is the most giving, loving, and absolutely amazing person I know. Not only do I consider her my mentor, but one of my best friends. I’m a better person just by knowing her, and I think a lot of us at LIP would agree with that statement. She followed her heart and hasn’t given up on her dreams – in this process she brought us all together. Thanks to her I’ve found my tribe of sisters and best friends.

Brenda – you’ve changed my world a million times over. Happy Birthday, and here’s to another year of wishes coming true! -xoxo-  Noelle

I’m thrilled to take part in this very special Brenda’s Birthday edition of our Girl Who Is Changing The World feature!  I’ve wanted to write about Brenda Rodriguez (who you know as the founder of the Love Infinitely Project!!!) for months, but as she moves into the next year of her beautiful life, it now feels truly appropriate.  In addition to being one of my most admired heroes, Brenda is absolutely one of the best friends I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

Her determination, her optimism, her refusal to accept mediocrity, her passion for compassion, and her bravery in attempting to change the world in a dramatic way ALL inspire me daily.

I met Brenda at Animal Acres, a farm animal sanctuary outside of Los Angeles.  At the farm, we bonded over our mutual love for the goats and piggies and our dream of creating a vegan world, but once I got home and tracked her down on Twitter, I found we have much more than animal activism in common.  We were both borderline obsessed with one of our favorite musical artists, Tristan Prettyman (a constant source of inspiration for us both!), we both regarded Joyologist Tricia Huffman as a spiritual guru, we both had an inappropriate crush on 71-year-old James Cromwell, and we can both quote Love Actually more than is healthy.  We became immediate friends and started attending live music shows and volunteer events together, and within a few weeks I knew she would become a permanent fixture in my life.  I feel so blessed, because if you asked me to describe my ideal friend using the best of my imagination, I’m not sure I could even come close to describing Brenda; I would never believe that such a person could exist!

As you probably know, Brenda is currently celebrating her birthday volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand (after which she’ll be spending the next month helping other needy animals and children across Thailand and India).  Her devotion to selflessness amazes me daily.  While I already miss her so so much, I am ecstatic for the countless lives that will be touched by her generosity of spirit.  When she returns, she’ll be continuing to grow the Love Infinitely Project with the ultimate goal of creating a global network of volunteer activities that will transform the world we live in.  I hope you’ll all take time to support her work, shop the Love Infinitely store (my Love Infinitely apparel has practically become my uniform!) and share her story!

In closing, I’ll offer five final words that have come to epitomize the way I feel about Brenda.  I’ve been able to sing them to her when prompted as part of a crowd sing-along at countless Makepeace Brothers concerts, but I don’t say them directly to her nearly enough:

Brenda: “I want to thank you.” ~ Jessica

♥∞

~ Jessica & Noelle ~

Follow B on Twitter in Thailand: @iamsunshine78

Follow Jessica on Twitter: @jlschluet

Follow Noelle on Twitter: @NoelleBobo

 

**If you know a super rad girl that you would like to nominate for our ‘Girls Who Are Changing the World’ feature, send them to us at: loveinfinitelyproject@gmail.com

2 More Days: The Viengping Children’s Home

After my adventure with the Elephant Nature Park, I get to spend some time volunteering at the Viengping Children’s Home.  It will be nice to spend my days laughing with children. The home cares for more than 600 children who have been abandoned or abused, or whose families cannot support them.  Their mission is “to protect and care for abandoned and orphaned children, defending their rights, guarding their health, and teaching them to be generous, healthy, and successful.”  Their children range in age from newborns to 22 years old.  They seek to give the highest quality of care and provide a secure and loving home.

The children take part in a wide variety of activities intended to enrich their lives, their growth and their character.  They also attend local schools:

“All school aged children are enrolled in schools in the community. We augment their studies with tutor and study sessions and, for those who are far behind, supplementary Saturday and summer classes.”

Not only that but they also take part in community projects that “instill in them a value for showing the same generosity to others that their community has shown to them.”  The Viengping Children’s Home does their best to find the children foster parents and of course, legal guardians.  Sometimes placing 5 to 7 children at a time in a smaller group settings.  They are also home to  children who are infected with HIV/AIDS.

“Our HIV and AIDS infected children are given the same love and care as all our children; they know they are an important, equal part of our family. We hold activities and workshops to help them manage their health and live with hope, happiness, and dignity, despite having a terminal disease.”

Volunteers are put to work in a variety of ways.  From maintenance work around the home (gardening, painting, etc.,) to taking care of the babies (babies!), to participating in activities with the children, the days will be full!  We are also encouraged to come up with our own activities for the children.  I would love to organize a group outing with the older kids, a field trip of some kind.  To get them out and about…

But what I really want to do (shocker) is organize some kind of dance/arts camp for the kids.  Goodness knows if there is one thing I am good at is keeping kids entertained in a dance class!  Plus as my friend Jim said, “the language of dance is universal“.  So as long as I learn how to count to 8 and point out my left foot from my right, I should be okay to teach.  Plus, one of the facets of the Love Infinitely Project will be to bring arts camps to children who otherwise would not have the opportunity.  This is my chance to test it out.

I will, of course, remain open to whatever they have me do.  I’ll be ready with activities, field trip ideas, choreography and ready to participate in any way.  Whether I’m helping with cleaning or just being a high chair for a baby, I will be happy.  I know it will be hard to leave this place.

We are inching toward our fundraising goal!  Infinite love and thanks to all our wonderful donors!  You will be making a huge difference!

2 more days.

Donate to Love Infinitely here: wepay.com/x19wqt1

Click here to ‘like’ the Viengping Children’s Home on FB.

♥∞

~B
  Follow B on Twitter: @iamsunshine78

In lieu of birthday gifts…

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
~Lao Tzu

My 33rd birthday is in exactly 2 weeks (11-17) and I could not be more excited for the way I will be celebrating my day this year, volunteering with elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Last year on my birthday I had just come off my adventure in India with VegNews Magazine and didn’t do much on my special day besides teach and go to yoga.  Even though my day was lovely I knew I never wanted to spend another birthday not being of service to others.

So this year, for my birthday instead of birthday presents or the always awesome gift card I would LOVE a donation to the Love Infinitely Project!  Even the smallest donation will make a big impact!  The funds will be going to some really incredible organizations like, Animal Aid Unlimited and the Viengping Children’s Home.  It’ll be my birthday present but thanks to our new donation site We Pay, you get a present too!**

Check it out:

Pretty cool right?!  And for the big donors:

It’s a winning situation for everyone!  And with exactly 6 days until departure, I am ready to bring our donations from 15% of our goal to 150%!

Even a small donation can make a big impact!  Help make my birthday wish come true!

Infinite love and thanks!

♥∞

~B, the Birthday Girl

  Follow B on Twitter: @iamsunshine78

**Love Infinitely presents will be sent out to donors upon my return from the adventure when the Love Infinitely Shop will be back up and running with a bunch of amazing new stuff for the New Year!