Kids in Orem, UT Host Read-A-Thon to help kids in Africa!

 Hillcrest Elementary, in Orem, UT, hosted a Read-A-Thon to help provide school supplies to the children living at the Hope For Hopeless Children's Shelter in Ethiopia.  Hope For The Hopeless is a ministry in Ethiopia that finds street children and puts them in their shelter in order to bring healing and restoration. The children make amazing transformations through the love of God being poured into them. Hillcrest PTA president (Rochelle Anderson) wanted their school to help a school through Ordinary Hero. They decided to put together school packets for the kids at Hope for the Hopeless. The items were donations, but the kids had to earn them during the 2 week Read-A-Thon in March.  They had to read to earn the items to put into the packets. The reading had to take place outside of school hours.  The kids read almost 2500 minutes in 2 weeks, which earned enough items for 60 packets! Way to go kids!! Each packet has a t-shirt, notebook, book, pen, pencil, and bookmark. They brought a few of the kids in to put the packets together. They loved it! These packages will be taken over next week with the April team traveling to Ethiopia to be passed out to the children living at the shelter. They can't wait to show them the pics of the H4H kids getting their packets!

Beverly Soutas, the Ordinary Hero Fundraising Coach, was able to share with the children about her experience traveling to Ethiopia with Ordinary Hero and what the needs are in Africa. Beverly and her husband will be joining Ordinary Hero again in July for another team trip to Ethiopia. 

(Beverly and her husband, Kelly, pictured at the Hope For Hopeless Shelter in Ethiopia)

What an awesome idea this was to challenge our young world changers to make a difference in the life of a child in need! If your school is interested in outreach projects to help children in need in Africa please email info@ordinaryhero.org. 

Thank you, Hillcrest Elementary, for paving the way and showing the world that you can challenge children to read to make a difference....AND THEY LOVE IT! 

For a glimpse of one of our visits to Hope For The Hopeless on a past team trip, Click Here. 

March Grant Recipients!!

We LOVE granting funds for your adoption or mission trip! A HUGE congratulations to Desiree Thompson, Kim Pellegrino, and Lauren Siler, our March grant recipients!! We are so excited to be helping these three families in their fundraising efforts as they work to fund their adoptions! Read their stories below, and get inspired! Look for more upcoming grant giveaways, and next time it could be YOU receiving one of these grants...

Congrats to Desiree Thompson from WI!  

Desiree and her husband are fundraising for their 2nd Ethiopian adoption. They brought home their son, Tariku, last year (gotcha day anniversary was this week!) and while making the required visits, met the son they are adopting now. Both boys were transferred together to AHOP (by Jimmy Gross of No Ordinary Love Ministries) and have a history together.  After learning more about him and his medical needs, they decided to adopt him as well! Right now they are working REALLY hard to get all the paperwork done Mid-May because she is due with their THIRD biological child in June!! Yep... they're going from 3 to 5 kids really quickly! Adopting their oldest, and having their youngest! "God is so good and we are excited to watch our family grow!" You can follow their family's story here. Congrats, Thompson family, and good luck with all of these amazing, exciting changes on the horizon!

Congrats to Kim Pellegrino from MD!

Does that name sound familiar?? It might, because this family was the recipient of the Beth Venable State Farm Grant last month!! And here they are again, a little closer to their fundraising goal! You can read about this family's story in the earlier blog post, but she wanted to add a little more... After returning from China just 6 months ago, they are hoping to return again this September to bring home their 2nd son. Just when they thought they couldn't be any more blessed, God has called on them once again to provide an orphan a home and family, and they couldn't be happier about it! Both boys are considered special focus in the eyes of China, but are simply SPECIAL to this family. This adoption has forced them to step out of their comfort zone and ask for assistance. Here is her take on fundraising (taken from her blog): "Fundraising isn't easy. It is humbling. It makes you look at the world differently somehow. You realize that you have too much of all this other stuff when all you really want is to provide a home for a homeless child...a kid for crying out loud! You want a family like everyone else. So sometimes it may seem easy to ask for donations with a smile and other times it's extra hard. Sometimes fundraising families see a large donation here or there, but mostly they are small ones that add up and up and up. They all matter, both big and small (many people don't realize that something, anything is better than nothing)." They are SO grateful to those who have already supported them along this journey and those who continue to give! Congrats on this grant, Kim! 

Congrats to Lauren Siler from VA!

Lauren and her husband Steven took a trip to Kenya, Africa is February 2012 and while they were there they visited an orphanage just outside of Nairobi. Their hearts went out to the children there. Their clothes were tattered, they didn't have shoes. But it wasn't just the physical needs not being met that touched this couple. They talked with the director of the orphanage and listened to the stories of how these children ended up there - most abandoned... left in outhouses, left at the front gate... Lauren's heart ached for the 'unwanted', the 'unlovable'. The ache went beyond the need for basic necessities; these kids needed a FAMILY. They left Africa, having found a new calling, and began the adoption process. They hadn't even started trying for biological children yet, so, needless to say their decision shocked and confused those around them. Yet, they are so certain that this is what God has called them to do. They are currently on the waiting list to adopt two children from Ethiopia and are about $20,000 away from their fundraising goal. Congratulations, Lauren and Steven! We are so excited to be a part of your fundraising efforts!

We had a lot of affiliates jump in on this grant! Remember, affiliates always receive 40% of any sale, at any time, when their name is selected from the drop down menu during the checkout process. We LOVE being a blessing to help you reach your fundraising goals with your adoption or mission trip! If you need help fundraising for your adoption or mission trip, check out our Fundraising Affiliate program today!

Also, a HUGE thank you to all of those who made purchases on our affiliates behalf! Your generosity is greatly appreciated and has helped each of them get one step closer!! 

This program is a HUGE blessing to all of our fundraising families. We welcome all donations toward our grant giveaway program. They are GREATLY  appreciated! Thank you for your support as we support others! To donate toward our grant giveaway program click here. 

Created For Care ~ March 2013

 Just now getting around to posting about our awesome weekend at Created For Care in Atlanta!

This is such a wonderful getaway for adoptive Mommas from all over the US to gather together.

 

We were proud to be one of the sponsors of this awesome event! 

Hopefully you were able to stop by our table and visit. We had a few new items available for sale. 

If you purchased from us, we would love for you to share your pics! 

Send us pics of you guys sporting our merch and we would love to post them on our facebook and instagram, twitter, etc. We love all our supporters, especially the small, wee world changers! :-) 

Don't forget to "Like" us on facebook so we can tag you in your pic. And also don't forget to tell us where you are from. :-) 

We enjoyed meeting some of our supporters and fundraising families and grant winners! 

Thank you, Created For Care, for another great weekend! 

See everyone at this event next January and March! 

Announcing the Beth Venable State Farm Grant Winner!!

Congratulations to the Pellegrino family on being selected for the 

Beth Venable State Farm Adoption Assistance Grant!

The Pellegrino family with their son, Anthony (bottom middle) and their waiting son (courtesy of photoshop), top middle.

The Pellegrino family, both teachers from Maryland, adopted their son, Anthony, internationally in September of 2012. In their words...."Once we were married we left our home state of New York to move to Maryland to raise a family. We continued to teach with the hopes of filling our home with lots of little feet. As the years passed we came to realize that birth children were not in God’s plan for us. Rather than search for answers in biological terms, we chose to begin our search in the many faces of orphaned children. In August of 2011, we found our first son Anthony. His cleft lip and palate was likely the reason he was abandoned and his age was likely the reason he was still available. While he was considered “special focus” all we knew was that he was SPECIAL. Anthony came home a year later and is just so full of life and personality!" Shortly after bringing him home, Kim saw a photo of a waiting child, an 18 month old boy with psychomotor delays who had been abandoned at one month old.  Due to the unknowns of his medical condition, he would most likely stay in the orphanage his whole life. The Pellegrino's could not let that happen and have started the process to bring him home.
With the approval of this second adoption, they decided that "Momma" would stay home another year. "We believe this to be very important as well however it leaves us as a one-income family on a teacher's salary. For the last adoption we did not reach out for any assistance what so ever and relied on our savings and the re-mortgaging of our home. For this adoption we are applying for grants and fundraising." 

On behalf of State Farm and the Beth Venable Memorial Fund, we are thrilled to give this $1000 grant to the Pellegrino Family! This decision was made by a panel of OH Staff and Michael Venable, himself. Each picked their top three and the Pellegrino Family was on each list which made it unanimous.

Thank you to State Farm and all the donors who gave on behalf of the Beth Venable Memorial Fund. This grant would not have been possible without you. And thank you to the 15 other families who applied for this grant. It was so hard to choose just one recipient! We heard many amazing stories of love for these children that are waiting. We hope to offer another grant in the future.

Affiliates, stay tuned! The next grant giveaway will be going on March 15-22, with three $500 grants to be given away to the top 3 selling affiliates. Are you not an OH affiliate yet? Sign up here.

$25 Gift Certificate When You Become A Monthly Partner!

We REALLY appreciate our monthly partners! 

We couldn't do what we do to help children in need, give adoption and missions grants to help get the Ordinary Heroes TO the children in need, give through local outreach, help families in crisis, etc, etc without support from our partners like you! 

As our way to say thank you we are giving a $25 Gift Certificate to the Ordinary Hero Store to ALL of you who sign up to become a monthly partner with Ordinary Hero for just $13.58 a month. 

That $13.58 equals $163 per year on behalf of the 163 million orphans and children in need that we strive to bring awareness and aide to. 

A little can go a long way!

Have you been blessed or inspired by Ordinary Hero at all? 

One small way you could help us continue in our mission 

would be to become a monthly partner for just $13.58 per month. 

It's not much but it helps our organization a TON!

Now is a great chance to sign up to partner because you will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to spend in the OH Store any way you want! We will email you your gift certificate within 24 hours,

 usually less, after you sign up as a monthly partner. 

Need it sooner? Just email us at info@ordinaryhero.org.  

What are you waiting for? 

CLICK HERE to sign up as an 
OH Monthly Partner today

and receive our $25 Gift Certificate to you for the OH Store!

We can't thank you enough for coming 

alongside us in our mission!

"Like" Us... We Sure "Like" You!

We LOVE showing off your World Changers! 

Find us, "Like" us, and post your pics on our Ordinary Hero Facebook Page, 

so that we can post them on our Ordinary Hero Instagram!

FIND US, "LIKE" US, ON FACEBOOK. 

FIND US, FOLLOW US, ON INSTAGRAM AT ORDINARY_HERO.

FIND US ON TWITTER AT ORDINARY_HERO. 

Send us your pics, tag us, like us, #Ordinaryhero, #Changetheworldforone

Show off your little world changer and don't forget to tell us where you are from :-)

#CHANGETHEWORLDFORONE

Washington

Tennessee

We LOVE adoption!! Grant Giveaway!

As you know, adoption is near and dear to the heart of Ordinary Hero and we are passionate about orphans finding their forever families. We also care about helping families raise the money necessary for adoption, which is why we have our OH affiliate program.

With the support of State Farm Insurance, through the Beth Venable Memorial Fund, we are offering a ONE TIME adoption grant of $1,000 to an adoptive family who is an OH affiliate. Online applications will be accepted February 14-28 and the family who is selected to receive the grant will be notified by March 10. The recipient will be selected by the Ordinary Hero staff as well as Michael Venable.

Here are the requirements:

• Family must be an OH affiliate fundraising family.
• Family must be a client of a non-profit, 501c3 adoption agency. The grant will be sent directly to the family's agency.
• Complete and submit online application (the link will be sent out via email to all affiliates).
• Submit one reference letter.
• Submit an Agency Confirmation Letter (verifying the family as their client, them as the placing agency and confirming their 501c3 status).
• Submit a family letter, telling us your story in 500 words or less.

To sign up for our affiliate fundraising program click here. If you have any questions, please email Melissa at info@ordinaryhero.org.

Special thanks to State Farm Insurance, and all of the generous donors who gave in memory of Beth Ratliff Venable. 

Another Seed Planted in Ethiopia From The Life Of Beth!

Beth Ratliff Venable was a beautiful mother and wife with a passion for Ethiopia. 

Because of complications with a sudden brain disease, she went to be with the Lord shortly after bringing their adopted son home from Ethiopia, leaving her husband and four children to live out her legacy and passion to help the lives of those in Ethiopia and beyond. 

 Shortly after her death, money from those who were touched by Beth's life was donated to Ordinary Hero to carry on Beth's vision to make a difference. Michael found himself quickly on the ground in Ethiopia with Ordinary Hero founders, Shane and Kelly Putty, to see exactly where some of that money would be used. 

 Michael found himself visiting Kore` (Korah), which is the trash dump community of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the first time. His eyes were opened to the tremendous needs and struggles within this community. 

 The women labor daily in the trash dump to collect anything they can find that might feed their families. 

While in Ethiopia Michael met Maste, a trusted guide, translator and friend of Ordinary Hero. 

Maste grew up in this community and has a heart to help the mothers of Kore. 

Maste states, "If you help a mother then you help the entire family move out of poverty." 

This trip proved to be a blessing to Michael. Part of Beth's life seed was planted in Maste's upcoming Coffee business which will hire the mothers of the Kore` community to roast and bag the coffee. This will in turn, pull them out of a life in the trash dump and poverty, setting their children free from the cycle of defeat and allowing them to go to school and live the life that God intended them to live. 

In December we were excited to see the beginning stages of the building. 

Today Maste sent us a picture of the first coffee roasting machine, as he unveiled the name of his new coffee business to Michael for the very first time!

We are excited to announce

 KORE BETH COFFEE! 

COMING SOON!! 

This is just one of the ways that Beth's life continue's to make a difference in the lives of those she was so passionate about. If you have not seen the powerful story of Michael and Beth Venable and Michael's quest to live on her  life legacy, I encourage you to watch this video. For more info and pictures of the beautiful life of Beth, CLICK HERE to visit the Beth Venable Memorial Fund Page.

Join Team Ordinary Hero in the Country Music Marathon, April 27th!

Want to run or walk for a great cause? 

We would LOVE for you to join Team Ordinary Hero in 

Nashville's Country Music Marathon, April 27th!

 This race will be a blast and we will join together to raise funds to further our

 mission to change the lives of many children in need across the world. 

Do you love to walk? Do you love to run? 

Join us! 

Kelly Putty will be leading those who join the 5K Mini Marathon.

Shane Putty will be leading those who join the Half Marathon.

Any brave soul who wants to lead the Full Marathon for OH just needs to contact us. :-)

CLICK HERE  for more info and to join Team OH and create your own, 

personal, fundraising page for this race! 

Let's really knock this out this year and raise awareness, raise funds, and 

CHANGE THE WORLD FOR ONE!

RUN 4 ONE!

As always, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Questions? Contact info@ordinaryhero.org. 

Enjoy this video from last year's race! 

Ordinary Hero Music City Marathon in Nashville from AndyCam Weddings on Vimeo.

**SAVE THE DATE**

Are you an out of towner? Join us for our annual Benefit Dinner and then stay over for the race!

Ordinary Hero Benefit Dinner 

Thurs, April 25th, Downton Hilton, Nashville, TN! 

6-6:45pm Silent Auction, 7pm Dinner & Presentation

More info to come! 

Matching Monday Grant Recipients!

Matching Monday Grant Recipients!

A HUGE congratulations to Becca Underwood, Andrea Bestul, and Caitlin Cline! They are our Matching Monday grant recipients! They had one day to organize their friends and family to help them fundraise, and they tore it up! We LOVE granting funds for your adoption or mission trip! In one day alone, we gave away $2593.28 in 40% total affiliate earnings! We matched $1834.46 of that for our top three selling affiliates, bringing our total grant giveaway on our Matching Monday to $4427.74! WOW!! Read the stories of our winners below to see how easy you can be granted BIG with our affiliate program! Look for more grant giveaways coming soon!

Congrats, Becca Underwood, from MO! Becca and her husband Nick have 5 kids. They adopted for the first time in 2012 when they brought their 9 yr old daughter home from Ethiopia. They knew they would adopt again, thinking they'd wait at least a year. God had other plans and last November they learned about a 6 or 7 yr old boy who touched their hearts. They are now fundraising for his adoption and are excited to get him home. They have helped other adoptive families via Ordinary Hero in the past and are very appreciative to those who helped them out this time! Becca must have LOTS of friends that helped her with this. She had 49 orders credited to her name, bringing her total sales to $2856! Her 40% commission was $1142.40 and will be MATCHED! Her total earnings for our Matching Monday, in one day, was $2284.80! Congrats, Becca! Way to work it!!

Congrats, Dustin and Andrea Bestul, from NC! Dustin and Andrea say they are a family of 8, soon to be a family of 15!!! They have 3 biological children, 3 adopted children from Ethiopia, and are raising funds because they are in the process of adopting 7 MORE CHILDREN from the Philippines! OH has a special place in their hearts because an OH mission team took a Christmas package to their children while they were still waiting in an orphanage in Ethiopia. Click here to follow this family's journey! With just 5 orders, Dustin and Andrea made their way to the top three with $1166.35 in total sales. Their 40% commission of $466.54 will be MATCHED, bringing their total earnings in one day to $933.08! Congrats, Bestul family!

Congrats, Caitlin Cline, from Ky! Caitlin is raising funds for a mission trip to Ethiopia with Ordinary Hero in June! She is so excited to win and feels like this is an example in her life of how God can provide. She is so excited to see what God has planned for her on this mission trip and is now a little closer to making it happen! With just 4 orders, bringing her total sales to $563.79, Caitlin made her way to the top three! Her 40% earnings of $225.52 will be MATCHED, bringing her total earnings on our Matching Monday to $451.04! Congrats, Caitlin! You are several steps closer to reaching your fundraising goal!

We had a lot of affiliates jump in on this grant! Remember, affiliates always receive 40% of any sale, at any time, when their name is selected from the drop down menu during the checkout process. We LOVE being a blessing to help you reach your fundraising goals with your adoption or mission trip! If you need help fundraising for your adoption or mission trip, check out our Fundraising Affiliate program today!

Also, a HUGE thank you to all of those who made purchases on our affiliates behalf! Your generosity is greatly appreciated and has helped each of them get one step closer!! 

Also special thanks to a generous $1000 donor towards our grant program. This program is a HUGE blessing to all of our fundraising families. We welcome all donations toward our grant giveaway program. They are GREATLY  appreciated! Thank you for your support as we support others! To donate toward our grant giveaway program click here. 

Matching Grant Monday!

Today is MATCHING GRANT MONDAY!

We are going to MATCH the TOP 3 highest selling affiliate's 40% earnings today!

Our Ordinary Hero Fundraising Affiliates earn 40% of every purchase that is credited to their name at checkout. TODAY we are going to match that 40% for the top 3 highest selling affiliates! 

Be sure to check out all our GREAT items for 

VALENTINE'S DAY! 

ALSO

Be sure to check out our new "SPARKLE LOVE"

 Jewelry Collection! 

Quantity is limited so get it while it lasts. 

There are many great gifts for that someone special on Valentine's Day! 

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Fundraising Affiliate for your adoption or mission trip, be sure to Click Here to get signed up and join in on the Grant Giveaway!