Blessing Bags!!

Well, our Blessing Bags idea is taking off! So many of you have sent them our way after we got the word out about them. Thanks to some of the organized girls on my last visit to Ethiopia, they came up with the idea of these pre-packaged zip lock bags filled with basic items sorted in sizes for the children we run across that are in need. We used to show up with mountains of clothes and donations that we would have to sort through and then never end up having the right size at hand that we needed. Now I LOVE this new idea of having them already sorted by size and labeled by boy or girl!! If you missed my post which shows our visit to the country in Ethiopia to pass out these blessing bags, CLICK HERE to see why they are so greatly needed.

We find these kids in the country wandering in rags or sometimes nothing at all.

 Do you have any idea how excited they get, and what a blessing it is to them and their mother struggling to provide? We show up clear out of the middle of no where and start handing them new outfits, snacks, shoes, and a toy, all in a bag just for them.

They come running from every direction. It is like Christmas for them. It is God showing them that they are not forgotten. It is God showing them they are loved.

These simple bags are GREATLY needed. 

We have five teams traveling to Ethiopia in the summer and are probably about to add a 6th team in April. We will be passing out these Blessing Bags to the kids in need there.

Some of you have helped us get the word out about our Blessing Bags and we want to say THANKS!! You all have had some GREAT ideas that I want to share.

The Give1Save1 blog in Houston, Texas, put the word out about the Blessing Bags and got a great response. Here is a blurb about how they did this.... "I had alot of fun doing this. In fact I’m having a little party with my girlfriends this weekend to make more. Here’s the mission. Blessing Bags. We’re going to mail them to Ordinary Hero and they’re going to take them out to the country. It’s really that simple." 

Thanks, Give1Save1 for helping spread the word to get these kids a bunch of Blessing Bags!

I also got an email from Danae in Kansas, who had a great idea to host a Blessing Bag party in honor of her 30th Birthday. What a great idea!! Check out the results of her party HERE. WOW! That little party produced 130 Blessing Bags!!

Thanks, Danae and to all your friends,  for blessing the kiddos with these bags in honor of your Bday!! Happy Birthday!!

Next, I have to share Elizabeth's great idea from Knoxville, TN . "I have a small group for my PEP MOMS ministry at my church, meeting at my house next week for a mom's night to make some "Blessing Bags" for OH.  :)" She just emailed me the pics from her girl's night. Wow! What a group of fun, crafty women coming together for a FUN night, and a GREAT cause!!

Thank you, Elizabeth, and your small group! You guys showed us the JOY and FUN that can be found in giving.

I have a couple more folks that have contacted me saying they have Blessing Bag parties scheduled in the next month. I also heard that a Brownie Troop just stuffed some Blessing Bags.  I will be posting pics when I get them :-)

If you would like to host a party or simply send in some Blessing Bags, this is what we need:


We need items from baby all the way up to small adult for the teens and moms. So pretty much any size is welcome. We need the items packaged in Gallon Size Zip Lock Bags according to Size and Gender (Boy/Girl). Please label the outside of the bags with either Boy or Girl and the Age/Size. Slightly used clothing is acceptable as well. 


We spend most of our time in Ethiopia during the raining season which is cold. Suggested items to be placed in the Blessing Bags are:


Pair of pants, and long sleeve shirt that fit as an outfit of the same size. 
Pair of underwear and socks to fit that same size child. 
Small toy, or something fun for the child. (stickers, small doll, toy car, etc) Give age appropriate small items that are not heavy. 
Small Toiletries
We will pass out snacks ourselves at the time we give them the bags so that we don't run the risk of them going bad between now and when we deliver. 


You may also include a note of encouragement to let them know that this hand-delivered gift is showing them they are loved all the way from America.  This is something fun you can have your kiddos do as well. 


Also, if you want to include your own signature on the outside of the bag or the name of your party, etc you may do so in order to let them and us know who it is from. This is what they will see first when handed the bag.  The inserted notes will also serve this purpose as well.


Please mail your pre-packaged and labeled Blessing Bags to: 


Ordinary Hero
c/o Amy Bealle 

105 Keeton Drive.
Hopkinsville, Ky 42240

These bags will be taken with our OH teams to Ethiopia and passed out to many children in need. We will always try to take pictures to show you where your donations are going and who you have blessed. Speaking of Mission teams, there is still room on our trips if you want to jump on board and help pass these bags out with us :-) Check out our Mission trips page for more info.

Trust me when I say that these items are greatly needed and appreciated :-) Thank you for being an Ordinary Hero!!

Our November Grant Winners!!

Yay!! We love giving grants!! Ordinary Hero has an affiliate program in which we help those of you who are fundraising for adoptions or missions, raise funds. We give 40% of everything sold in the store to our affiliates when their name is checked in the drop down menu during check out. It is that simple. We also average about one grant giveaway per month. We just wrapped up our grant giveaway this month which ended last night. The top three affiliates with highest sales ($ amount) credited to their name during our grant contest from 11/4- 11/13 are getting an extra $500 each on top of their 40% they earned in commission to be applied toward their adoption or mission trip expenses. Yay!!

Soooo......our winners are......

#1 seller is Lizzie Barrett!! Congrats Lizzie, you blew this out of the water with 38 of the highest sales credited in your name. That, with the $500 grant, earned you over $1400!! Lizzie is from Utah and this grant will be applied toward her adoption. You can see her blog HERE.

#2 seller is Kristen Williams!! Congrats, Kristen!! Kristen had 25 of the highest sales credited in her name. That with her $500 grant earned her over $1200!! Kristen is adopting two kiddos from different countries. This grant will be applied toward her adoptions. Kristen is from Ohio and you can see her blog HERE. 

#3 seller is Rachel Edwards!! Congrats, Rachel!! Rachel jumped to #3 spot with 13 bigger sales credited to her name. That, with the $500 grant, earned her over $1100 which will be applied toward her adoption!! Rachel is from Indiana and you can view her blog HERE.

Congrats Ladies!!

Honorable mentions go to two other affiliates which both had over $1000 in sales credited to their name but did not fall in the top three spots. We would like to offer Amy Eatherly and Ladonna Powell a $50 gift certificate to our OH store for doing such a great job at getting the word out during this grant contest and having some great sales. Ladies, you both earned great 40% commission during this contest.

Also, a few others worth mentioning that had over $500 in merch sales credited to their name were
Bealle Family
Libby Bolesky
Sharon Wilson
Heather Kelley
Ashley Rippke
Kasey Hauret

Way to go!!!

You all earned some great commission during this contest. Many thank you's go out to all our affiliates for participating in this grant giveaway!! Also, many thank you's go out to all of you who purchased on behalf of our affiliates. Every single purchase credited to our affiliates puts money into their account which will be applied toward their adoption or mission trip. I have been on their side of fundraising with my own adoption before, so trust me when I say, it is GREATLY appreciated!!

Be ready for our next grant giveaway scheduled to start Thursday, December 1 and run through Sunday, Dec 11. Yep, $500 each will be given away to our TOP 3 AFFILIATES with the highest sales ($ amount) credited to their name during that time period. So if you are adopting or  raising money for a mission trip, be sure to get signed up as an OH affiliate. Just spread the word and you could win a grant!! Orders will be mailed in time for Christmas so plan on some Christmas shopping.

We have some exciting new items that will added to the OH store soon in time for Christmas orders so be on the look out!!

Again, CONGRATS to our grant giveaway winners and all of you who raised funds during this grant giveaway. You are all winners!! Also, a special thanks goes out to Gina, our OH fundraising coach, for doing such a great job as always with giving out fundraising pointers and tips during this grant giveaway. Thanks, Gina!!

Let Us Not Forget ~ Orphan Sunday

Today is Orphan Sunday. Let us not forget the orphan.


Ordinary Hero~ The Orphan from Kelly Putty on Vimeo.


Click here to go to the direct link. 

Grant Giveaway Starting Tomorrow, Friday, Nov 4th!!

3 Chances to Win $500!!! Don't Miss Out!!

Ordinary Hero is giving away THREE $500 grants! 

The top three selling affiliates with the most sales beginning Friday, Nov 4th at 12:01AM through Sunday, Nov 13th at 11:59 PM will each receive $500 on top of the 40% commission that OH Affiliates receive. This is a GREAT way to fundraise for your adoption or mission trip. Have you been thinking about joining OH on an upcoming mission trip but don't know how you will pay for it? Sign up as an OH Affiliate and start raising your funds now. Our top sellers usually make over $1000 in about 9 days!! Even if you don't get in the top three you receive 40% of every purchase made in your name from the drop down menu at checkout. It is that simple!! 

For instance, if someone buys our new GO BASEBALL TEE for $39.99 and clicks on your name in the dropdown menu, you receive $16 into your account. Look how simple that is. To find out more about signing up as an OH Affiliate, CLICK HERE.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the new items that we will be adding to our store before 12:01 tomorrow. We have some great new stuff!! Look for it at the start of the grant contest. 

If you are an affiliate and did not receive an email from Gina, please email her at Gina@OrdinaryHero.org. She will be giving you pointers on how to do your best throughout this grant giveaway.You may also email her if you have any questions. Hope to see you all get signed up and win big! We are excited to help you adopt and travel on missions!! 

Great Day at Halloween Outreach Pumpkinfest 2011...and new Video!

"We are Ordinary People, but He takes NOTHING and He makes SOMETHING out of it." ~ Ross H. Minkler (Kelly's Great Grandfather)

I am loving the wisdom I continue to find from my Great Grandfather's messages. You will hear an excerpt in the video below. 

OH had another amazing Halloween Outreach, Saturday at Pumpkinfest. You know, we sometimes don't do things to help others because we always think we have to help on a large scale that we feel we can never meet. Because of that mindset, we forget that the smallest acts of kindness can sometimes mean the most to others in need. For instance, a warm smile, a cup of coffee, a blessing bag filled with basic necessities, a hug, a Halloween costume, or lunch, may not sound like much, but it can mean the world to someone in need. God will use you in a small moment if you would think to allow Him to.

 Our Halloween outreach has grown over the years since I first began it. This year we chose to set up a booth at the local, Franklin Pumpkinfest. Thousands of people come to this festival. We were thrilled to be able to spread the word about Ordinary Hero as well as bring the moms and their children who reside at the local mission, over for a fun-filled day out to enjoy the beauty and the hope that comes from making a new friend and having some fun. We match all the kids with a volunteer for the day, which gives the Mommas a much needed break. While at the festival, our OH booth gave children the opportunity to draw a picture for a child in Africa as well as make bead bracelets for children in Africa.

 There were several moments that warmed my heart during the day. Some of you may remember one of our very first official Ordinary Hero Christmas Projects, at the end of 2009, where we went in and helped a family fix up their home and provided Christmas for them during their time of need. It was such a blessing for so many to be able to participate in that. You never know the lives you will impact by reaching out a helping hand. You never know who is really watching and taking it all in. Well, trust me when I say, the children are. This mother had a 16 yr old daughter at the time who was very sweet and helped us clean and fix up the home while her mother was in the hospital. She was one of 10 children. Well, Look who showed up to help as a volunteer on Saturday. She also came to my banquet last spring and expressed then how she really wanted to help and give back to others. Jenene is 18 now and on her own, starting college, and wants to be a medical assistant. She now wants to give back to others because she knows what it is like to be on the other end.  I'm very proud of her and the young Ordinary Hero she has become.

Another revelation of God's goodness was when this family came walking up to me. I looked at them and said, "Well, this is where it all began." You see, 5 years ago, I organized my very first Halloween Outreach with the mission moms and kids and brought them to my church. There was no Ordinary Hero, it was just something I thought to do on my own and got my friends involved to help me. From that outreach I met a young mom that stole my heart and I decided to help her.

I got her out of the mission with help from friends and fam and we sought to get her and her children on their feet. She had two small children at the time and was very early pregnant as with #3. I helped her, but at the same time,  watched her personally go up and down over the course of three years trying to raise her children as a single mom. A bunch of us stepped in to help her with her children when she was at the bottom once again. In the end, she made the most commendable choice of unconditional love.....she chose adoption for her children. All of her children were adopted into loving homes. Little Snow White, pictured below, was the little one in her belly at the time that I met her. Now Snow White and her little sister, as well as her other two siblings,  are experiencing the miracle of adoption and are surrounded by many, many people who love them a lot.

This birth mom is a true Hero. She wanted nothing but the best for her children and did everything in her power to make sure they had that. She made this adoptive Momma doubly blessed. These children know what it is like to feel love in every direction. All I can say is THANK YOU, to all of you birth moms out there. I'm sure you don't hear that enough.  You truly are giving your all.  

Now that you see what amazing things can derive from such a simple outreach, enjoy this video of this year's Halloween Outreach and see all the many lives that were touched. Many thank you's go out to all of you who volunteered and to all of you who donated costumes and lunch for these kids. An extra special THANK YOU goes out to Kortnie Hastings for helping me coordinate this year's outreach. She is my awesome organized friend. Also, I must give a shout out to my daughter, Lauren, who was out till midnight at Walmart and then up the next morn at 5:30 to help set up. She was such a huge help! Also, Clay and Cindy, thanks for coming early to battle the cold and help set up.

 You can all see for yourself what a big blessing this outreach was to them :-) To view all of the pics from this special day CLICK HERE.

Silence my music on my right side bar or CLICK HERE to go to the direct link.