We started the new decade off with a bang by welcoming Manjeet Pardesi back to the States!

Manjeet has been with TMF as our Country Manager for several years. He is usually very busy overseeing all of our orphanages in India, so he doesn’t make it to Austin often. We were thrilled to have him here, and gave him a small welcome party at Cissi’s Market.  The staff and many of our ambassadors were present at the event. We’d like to thank everyone who was there for helping to make Manjeet feel at home. He had a great time in Austin!

Everyone, along with Manjeet, worked tirelessly to organize and prepare for our annual Board Strategy session. Our fantastic board, along with many members of the staff, met for several hours on Saturday, January 16, in order to discuss, review, and strategize about our future plans.  We look forward to sharing the details with all of you, as this exciting time of growth unfolds for TMF!

We also have our first intern living and working in India!  We’ll be posting more about Katelyn in our next blog.

Posted on February 10th, 2010 by admin
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The Miracle Foundation had a wonderful end to 2009 — it was busy, busy, busy (hence, the break in blog updates!). So sorry to those who were anxiously waiting for more news about TMF!

So, here’s what happened:

In mid-October, the orphans, housemothers and volunteers in India celebrated the Hindu holiday called Diwali, or Festival of Lights. The name comes from a combination of 2 Hindi words, Deepa meaning Light and Awali meaning Row. The resulting “row of lights” symbolizes Indian culture, and its traditions of teaching the purging of ignorance and suppression of darkness that dims the light of knowledge. Several volunteers and sponsors sent letters to India in celebration.  We are so thankful to those who wrote letters – like the oil lamps lit for Diwali, our childrens’ faces light up when they receive letters from abroad!

The TMF Christmas Open House was on December 18 and it could not have been a bigger success! Thank you to all the volunteers and ambassadors, new and old, who came to celebrate with us. There was an assortment of Christmas cookies, holiday punch and other festive snacks, as well as a host of laughter and merriment.

Our achievements in 2009 were phenomenal! We provided aid to 592 children, homes to 99 new orphans and care to 36 single mothers so that they could deliver healthy babies. 95% of our children were sponsored, which is truly amazing. Everything those children need is supplied on a monthly basis as a result of our sponsors’ generosity! Sooch Village is now equipped with a computer lab housing 25 Dell computers. The children learn basic computer skills there, like typing and internet literacy. Also at Sooch, 50% of the vegetables the children eat are grown in their own organic garden. The kids love to see the fruits of their labor, which is so rewarding and beneficial for their self-esteem.

One of the most notable accomplishments was the securing of a domestic adoption license in Jharhkand. This means that our orphans can be adopted by families in India, which is exactly the kind of future we hope all of our children will someday experience.

Overall, we are incredibly pleased with the progress we made in 2009 and we hope 2010 will be even better. Our success is purely dependent on our sponsors, donors and volunteers and we are so thankful to each of you!

Posted on February 5th, 2010 by admin
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On Sunday, December 6, 2009, the award-winning Avant Salon hosted a Cut-a-Thon event in which 100% of the proceeds from haircuts, hair coloring, and partial highlights were donated directly to The Miracle Foundation. The event was an amazing success raising over $5,000 to help improve the lives of our children in India! We sincerely thank Avant Salon for their generosity and our wonderful supporters for having their hair done for this great cause. You all look fabulous!

Avant Salon is an award winning hair salon with three locations in Austin and one location in San Antonio. Avant Salon offers the ultimate in salon and day spa experience including hair cut, hair color, massages, pedicures, manicures, facials, and makeup services. Find out more at www.avantsalon.com!

Thank you once again Avant Salon!

Posted on December 16th, 2009 by admin
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The Miracle Foundation thanks Americus Diamond, http://austindiamondstore.com, for graciously supporting us through their recent advertising campaign. A long-time supporter of The Miracle Foundation, Americus Diamond is the largest independently owned jeweler in Central Texas and prides itself on not only selling quality products, but giving old-fashioned service as well.

Our sincerest thanks to Americus Diamond for their ongoing support. Their generosity allows us to continue to improve the lives of our children in India.

To learn more about Americus Diamond visit their store located in the Lincoln Center at the intersection of I-35 and 2222 or visit their website, http://austindiamondstore.com/.

Posted on December 11th, 2009 by admin
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The Miracle Foundation thanks KGSR, www.kgsr.com, for inviting us to be the awareness beneficiary at their 19th anniversary concert. Held on Saturday, December 5, it was a wonderful evening with musical performances by The Gourds, Rosanne Cash, Bob Schneider, Charlie Mars, and Ian McLagan. If you missed the broadcast, it will re-air on Saturday, December 19^th at 8 p.m.

KGSR generously offered us the opportunity to have a booth at the event, so that we could tell all of the attendees about The Miracle Foundation and how to get involved. Additionally, KGSR has been broadcasting PSAs on their station, 93.3 FM, for the past month, thereby informing all of their listeners about the work we are doing for orphans in India.

Again, our sincerest thanks to KGSR for helping to create awareness of The Miracle Foundation and for informing their listeners that they can act globally, right here in Austin!

To learn more about KGSR visit http://www.kgsr.com/, or to read more about this event and view photos, visit http://www.kgsr.com/anniversary/index.aspx

Posted on December 9th, 2009 by admin
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This Friday, December 4^th, The Nobelity Project, Austin Film Society, and Manuel’s Arboretum are having a fundraiser event, Once Peace at a Time – Opening Night Celebration! This event will celebrate “the national theatrical launch of One Peace at a Time.” The film, One Peace at a Time, by Turk Pipkin shows the possibility of providing the basic rights of food, water, shelter, opportunity, and peace for every child across the world. The proceeds will go towards the construction of Mahiga Hope High School in Kenya.

The Opening Night Celebration will have food by Manuel’s, music by Kat Edmonson, and a special screening of One Peace at a Time. The event has two parties and screenings on December 4th:

5:30 – Reception at Manuel’s Arboretum followed by:
7:00 p.m. Screening at the Arbor
OR:
7:30 – Reception at Manuel’s Arboretum followed by:
9:00 p.m. Screening at the Arbor

The tickets are on sale for $50 at www.nobelity.org. This is a great opportunity to have delicious food, hear talented music, and view the screening of Once Peace at a Time.

For more information, visit http://nobelity.org/one-peace-at-a-time/.

Posted on November 30th, 2009 by admin
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The Miracle Foundation Austin office and even our children’s homes in India are divided on the big game coming up this November 26, 2009!

With the Thanksgiving holiday and big game (UT versus A&M) coming up, The Miracle Foundation wanted to wish everyone safe travels and best wishes. We hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 25th, 2009 by admin
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On Sunday, December 6, 2009, Avant Salon is hosting a Cut-a-Thon event in which 100% of the proceeds from haircuts, hair coloring, and partial highlights will be donated directly to The Miracle Foundation. This is a unique opportunity to get your holiday haircut and benefit the mission of TMF in empowering orphans to reach their full potential, one child at a time.

Svetlana Frolova is the Marketing Director and Photographer for the newly opened Avant Salon on 5^th and Pressler. She has traveled with The Miracle Foundation to India to take beautiful pictures of our children, currently sponsors two kids, and has been an avid supporter throughout the years.

When: Sunday, December 6^th

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m

Where: 507 Pressler (at 5th Street), Avant’s newest salon (map this location)

Suggested Donations: Haircuts: $45, Color (no foils): $55, Partial Highlights: $70

To schedule an appointment, call (512) 472-6357.

For more details, visit http://www.avantsalon.com/newsletter/Miracle_Foundation_Service-a-thon_2009/.

Posted on November 23rd, 2009 by admin
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Every year, JI Companies has a Community Service Day, when they encourage their employees to volunteer at non-profits throughout the city. This year, four of their employees (Karen, Reed, Diana, and Sheri) offered their services to The Miracle Foundation.  They helped to assemble our sponsor packets, clean up our yard, and Diane’s husband (Matt) even fixed our bathroom! They were a huge help and so much fun to be around!

JI Companies, http://www.jicompanies.com, is a business located in Austin, Texas that provides quality risk management and program management products and services. They provide an array of products and services to Texas businesses, professional and trade organizations, and public entities. This company is committed to integrity, excellence, teamwork, and promoting a balance among family, community, and work responsibility. They definitely do a great job with this and we feel truly lucky to have their assistance around the office!

Below are some pictures from JI’s volunteer day at our office:

Sheri & Diana helping us assemble our sponsor packets!

Reed & Karen making our office look more presentable!

Matt fixing our bathroom!

Thank you once again to Karen, Reed, Diana, Matt, Sheri, and JI Companies for all their help!

To learn more about JI Companies, visit http://www.jicompanies.com.

Posted on November 19th, 2009 by admin
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Burt (from AllCity) with Elizabeth, Barbara, and John from The Miracle Foundation staff

The Miracle Foundation wanted to especially thank AllCity Technology for their ongoing support for our IT infrastructure.  They keep our systems humming!  Thank you AllCity and Burt for your willingness to help us in our computers’  time of need!

To learn more about AllCity Technology visit, http://www.allcitytech.com/.

Posted on November 11th, 2009 by admin
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