We Belong to Each Other

We Belong to Each Other

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other” – Mother Teresa

Sheryl and I

As I prepare to leave again for my second home in Kenya, I am struck by the oneness, the interconnectedness of us all--that everything that we do has consequences and leads to something else. This community here in Northwest Arkansas has been so supportive of Restore Humanity over the last 9 years and our support network grows seemingly by the day. Almost every thing that we have been able to do to provide assistance to those in need in Kenya has been the result of awesome people in this community donating whatever they can to help others.

It is not the result of the generosity of a few who are well off—it is the result of the generosity of the many who give what they can when they can. It is such an honor to be a part of it.  Our extremely hard-working Kenyan Team has put all of this generosity to good use and as a result lives have been changed for the better. With all of the negativity that we hear about and face everyday, it is so good to know that people do care and we all can make a difference.

We all belong to each other and I am honored to be a connecting piece between all of these wonderful humans. Thank you all on the Kenyan side and the U.S. side for all of your hard work and pure love for humanity. You have made all of this possible!

 On this trip I will be taking lots of photos of the newly completed Maternity Ward that we built at the local clinic ! I will also be checking in on our outreach program at the local school, checking on our RH Scholar, Jerrym, in Nairobi and of course spending hours upon hours with our sweet kiddos at the JCO Children’s Home. I will have lots of exciting blogs with updates when I return at the end of July. In the meantime you can follow me on Instagram and follow me on Facebook to join me on the journey!

Have a great summer and we will talk soon…

With gratitude,

Sarah Fennel

Sammie and Miriam, our Head House Mother

Christine and Wilfrieda, two awesome ladies that have worked at JCO since we opened in 2010, taking a break from work to chat.

Our youngest little cutie Clinton.

Two Exciting Updates!

The month of April was a very exciting one for Restore Humanity! We got wonderful news from Kenya about the Maternity Ward--Project #mamasandbabies and we had an incredible fundraiser here to support our Children's Home! We are so, so grateful!

Project #mamasandbabies

At the very end of the year we were about half-way finished with the construction and thanks to all of you we reached our remaining fundraising goal! Sarah Fennel took that money to Kenya at the beginning of January and they set out to first finish the delivery room, the septic tank and all the plumbing. 

Phase 1--Digging the hole for the Septic Tank (January 2015)

Phase 2 of Septic Tank February 2015

Since this is a partnership with a local clinic we have a very structured way that we handle the money. We give a smaller amount ($5,000-$7,000) and they sign a grant agreement as to what the funds can be used for. When they have used the money, they provide a report as to how it was spent, including receipts. We go over the receipts and the report. If it all matches up, then we send the next small amount and we move forward.

The local clinic has been really thorough on their reporting and efficient on the building. We have been really impressed. At the end of Fennel's most recent trip (Jan-Feb 2015) they had used the funds and presented her with a report. She went over the report and saw the work for herself. So upon her arrival back in the states she sent more money. 

One of the sinks your donations bought!

The Delivery Room in February 2015

We just recently got the next report and sent the final amount to finish it up! AND we got some really amazing news to go with that! Although the building in it's entirety is not finished--they did complete the septic tank and the delivery room a few weeks ago. Since then they have delivered 12 healthy babies to 12 healthy mamas! Pregnant mothers can't wait on the rest of the building!

Our completed Delivery Room April 2015

We were so excited to hear this and we knew you would be too! What can be more exciting than that? It is because of all of you that this is now happening and we cannot thank you enough! Fennel will be headed back to Kenya in June to see the final building, get some great photos, and get more exciting updates about healthy babies and their mothers!

A really BIG thank you is due to all of our Maternity Ward Donors and to our RH Medical Committee--with a very special thank you to our Chairman Dr. Scott Bailey and his wonderful wife Leslie. Thank you for all of the knowledge, advice, leadership, and support! We could not have done this without you! 

Thank you all and look for more updates later this summer!

Our Annual Wine Dinner at Bordinos

Our Annual Wine Dinner at Bordinos took place on Sunday April 19th and was a wonderful success! We sold out again this year and we raised $35,250 for our JCO Children's Home in Kenya! We are so thankful to all of the guests that attended and those who donated, to the incredible Bordinos staff--front and back of the house--for delicious food, perfect wine, and impeccable service, and to our wine-expert Dr. Robert "Wine" Neralich! We also would love to send a big thank you to Cole Fennel Photography for the fabulous photos of our event! Check them out below! (For all of the images and more info click here)

Our Restore Humanity Scholar Vincent speaking to our guests! And the lovely Dr. Allyson Mertins looks on. 

With love and gratitude to you alL,

The Restore Humanity Team

There is No Place Like Home

There is No Place Like Home

(Caring for our Kiddos—Part 1)

A woman in sparkly shoes once said, “There’s no place like home” and I would have to concur. What a gift it is to be able to have a real home—a place of love, safety, and comfort that brings peace to your heart just thinking of it. It is hard to come by, but well worth the effort to create.

I recently found a quote that I love.  “There are two gifts that we should give our children: one is roots and the other is wings.” I could not agree more and by my lights the only way to do that is by creating and maintaining that sense of “home” throughout their development.

From the very beginning this has been a crucial part of our mission in creating the JCO Children’s Home in Kenya. My partner Mrs. Opot and I had very similar understandings of what a “home” meant and just how important it was.  We knew that stability was key, especially for children that had been through so much chaos already. They needed firm roots to help them build a bright future for themselves.

Mrs. Opot is and always has been a wonderful mother to all of her children (I have known them all for years) and she taught elementary school in Kenya’s capital Nairobi for 33 years before we began our project. I have had professional childcare experience myself, but I really learned how to raise children and build a home from the two greatest teachers around—my mother and father.

My parents provided my brothers and I with a wonderful home which, among other things, was safe, loving and stable. While helping us to develop very strong roots they also encouraged us to spread our wings. I was never afraid to venture into the unknown because I knew where my roots were and that I always had a strong support system to return to.

Everyone on our Restore Humanity team had a shared vision for the loving, stable, and comforting home we wanted to create. However, making that vision a reality is easier said than done. I tried as much as possible to create the type of environment that I was raised in because my parents did such an amazing job. And while we couldn’t recreate exactly what I had, for a variety of reasons, we could operate from those same values.

It has taken a lot of learning and adjusting, but our Kenyan team has done an amazing job. In fact, a big part of our success in creating this consistency for our children is the fact that we have had extremely little turnover from our staff. As a result, our children are growing up with and spending years of their lives with the same wonderful people (I will get into more details about the key ingredients that make our staff so spectacular in an upcoming blog).

I have been asked several times, usually by bigger foundations, “Why just focus on a few children? Why only 20? Why not expand your facility? How much do you want this facility to grow in five years?” It basically comes down to the debate over quality vs. quantity. If the question is whether we would like to help as many children as possible, the answer is yes. However, if our children are not receiving good quality care and the higher numbers comprise how well we can care for them individually, then the answer is no.

We have had a guiding principle from the beginning of our project: “We want JCO Children’s Home to be run like an institution, but feel like a home.” When you have more than 20 children in a facility like ours the feelings of “family” and “home” start to dwindle. It actually starts feeling more like an institution. While we could provide supervision and basic necessities to greater numbers by operating in this way (assuming we had the proper funding) we would be sacrificing the cognitive benefits and emotional development enjoyed only by those with the types interpersonal connections and relationships typical of a close-knit family.  Surviving is not the same thing as thriving.

We decided early on that while caring for as many children as possible is wonderful—we aren’t really accomplishing our mission if we are not taking care of them like they truly deserve.  In our particular circumstance we felt that the best use of our energy and resources was to focus on building a well run “home” that provides all the basic necessities as well as love, consistency, encouragement, stability, and a feeling of safety. By doing so we can give our sweet kiddos the proper foundation that they need to create a bright future for themselves, for those around them, and for the world at large.

I just spent the last month in Kenya with our kiddos and I am so happy to say that after observing them for almost 5 years now, that this concept of a “home” actually works! It is what builds the necessary confidence in order to do big things in your life—to take risks and follow your dreams.

As I spend time with our kiddos and think about how far they have all come, it is astounding. There has been steady progress from all of them and while they all have ups and downs, their confidence continues to grow and their inner lights shine brighter with each day. It is a beautiful thing to witness and confirms my belief that there truly is no place like home. 

WE DID IT!!

WE DID IT!

I am so pleased to announce that we have reached our fundraising goal to finish the maternity ward in Kenya! Phase 1 of Project #mamasandbabies is complete! We had a goal of raising the remaining $20,500 to finish the construction and we did it! An amazing group of donors made up of old and new givers made this possible and we are so grateful.

The bulk of the money we raised for this project came as a result of two special events that we had at our donors' beautiful homes. Dr. Scott & Leslie Bailey had the first event in their home in November and Dr. Rick & Julie Roblee followed it up earlier this month at their home. Both parties were amazing and their support was essential to our success. We are so, so grateful!

The ripple effect is still being felt. Carin Schoppmeyer from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette was kind enough to cover our event at the Roblee's home and the article was in this Sunday's paper. In the article she mentioned that we needed a remaining $7,700 to complete the construction. A few hours later, I received an email from an amazingly generous couple that said they will be sending us a check to cover that amount! We also had two other incredible donors commit to buying our beds and helping us to get some of the furnishing that we will need! 

I am beyond excited and am really looking forward to heading back to Kenya on January 7th to get the construction started once again! Now that we have the remaining funds we need we should be completing our construction and delivering babies by May! I will keep you all posted on our progress and THANK YOU ALL for your support!!

It is Giving Tuesday! Please Donate to Restore Humanity

It is Giving Tuesday! Please donate to Restore Humanity

Many people are inspired to give at the end of the year for a variety of reasons and while we know there are many causes worthy of your support we ask that you consider giving to Restore Humanity this year so that we can continue our current projects and expand our support to even more people in need.

Since I founded Restore Humanity eight years ago, the most common question that I get asked is “Why are you helping in Kenya?” Some are just asking out of curiosity and others make it very clear that they don’t understand why we wouldn’t choose to help American children? It is a valid question because there are children in need all over the world, including here in the US and if I could provide assistance to every child that needed it tomorrow then believe me I would.

Unfortunately this is not an option, so we all must do what we can, when we can, and how we can. This is exactly why we help in Kenya because there is a serious need in that area and we had an amazing opportunity to make a real and lasting impact.

Mrs. Opot, our wonderful Kenyan partner contacted me in 2007 and asked if Restore Humanity would help her to create a home for children in need in the rural community that she lived in. She had land with a building on it that she donated for the project and was willing to run the home day in and day out. It is also important to note that we can do much more in Kenya than we could in the US with the same amount of money and by my lights the need there exists on a much greater scale.

We took this awesome opportunity and now have a beautiful home full of 17 bright and loving kiddos that also provides employment for 11 local Kenyan people from the community. Each year we look for more opportunities to help and take advantage of every one that we can. I encourage every person to do the same.  Every child matters, no matter where they are from--ONE PLANET, ONE PEOPLE, ONE PURPOSE. We are all in this together!

Please consider donating to one of our projects or to our “General Fund” and we will use it where we need it. All donations are tax deductible and a donation in someone’s name can be the perfect gift! If you are interested in giving a gift of a donation please send me an email at sarah@restorehumanity.org for details.

Donate Here 

#GivingTuesday—We need your support! Here are some options for you:

RH General Fund:

We use the money where it is needed the most within our projects.

JCO Children's Home:

Our principal project, our children’s home in Sirembe, Kenya that provides a home for our 17 wonderful kiddos. For more information click here.

Project #MamasandBabies--Maternity Ward:

We have partnered with a local clinic in Kenya to complete the construction a much-needed Maternity Ward for the community of Sirembe, Kenya.

RH Scholars Program:

Providing University education (both in the US and in Kenya) for a select few bright young minds from Kenya. We currently have one student in the US and one in Kenya.

Donate Here

With immense love & gratitude,

The Restore Humanity Team

Here are some sweet shots of our cuties and team members this year:

Project #mamasandbabies --Help us Build a Maternity Ward in Kenya

Help us Build a Maternity Ward

Project #mamasandbabies

Our Restore Humanity Medical Committee made up of local doctors (from NWA) and our Board Members came together to try and assist the Kenyan community of Sirembe with some of their most pressing healthcare needs. We found an awesome opportunity to partner with the local dispensary and help them raise the funds needed to build a much needed Maternity Ward for the area. We are half-way there in construction and once completed they will be able to immediately start serving local mothers!

Proper pre-natal, delivery, and post-natal care are essential for the mamas and the babies! The health of the community begins in the womb and families need the mothers to be healthy to care for them all! A recent article in "Business Daily" concerning Kenya's current health issues surrounding both mothers and children:

In Kenya, "72,000 children below the age of one year died in 2012 while another 40,000 did not survive their first month of birth. 

Ministry of Health records show that 7.6 million children under the age of five died in 2010 from diseases that could have been prevented.

It is estimated that half of the deaths that occur within a month of a child’s life occur on the first day of their lives mainly due to lack of access to proper health services for mothers during delivery."

Read the full article here

We are already half-way there and we just need $20,500 to finish construction! Let's all join in and make it happen! Do what you can and join our Construction Crew! So much can be done with a little help from a lot of people!

Join our "Construction Crew" Here are some options"

 

Donate $25-- You are a "Brick Layer"

Donate $50--You are a "Carpenter" 

Donate $100--You are a "Steel Worker"

Donate $500-- You are a "Roof Master"

Donate $1000-- You are a "Foundational Giver"

Donate $5000-- You are a "Structural Sustainer"

 

Donate Here* 

*Make sure to specify "Maternity Ward" when checking out

Restore Humanity Medical Committee

 Chairman: Dr. Scott Bailey

 Doctors: Dr. Mark Olsen, Dr. Allyson Mertins

 Board Members: Roger Boskus, Herbert Buchanan, Devin Cole,

 Jean Ann Fennel, Joe Fennel, Sarah Fennel, Michelle Fyfe,

 Brandon Hurlbut, Tim McFarland, and Miriam Smith

The future pre-delivery ward for our mamas!

This is how far we have come! Help us finish the building!

We are taking it one step at a time...

Step One: Finish Construction of Maternity Ward

Phases of Maternity Ward Construction Remaining:

Phase 1: Frames & Plastering 

Phase 2: Electrical 

Phase 3: Plumbing & Draining

Phase 4: Tiling

Phase 5: Painting & Glazing

Donate Here*

*Make sure to specify "Maternity Ward" when checking out

Step Two: Furnish Maternity Ward

Winetopia 2014 was a success--My Love Letter to NWA

Dear NWA Community,

I LOVE YOU--YOU ARE SPECTACULAR! 

On October 3rd we had our biggest annual event, Winetopia and it was incredible! The NWA community came out in full support of the work we are doing and we could not be more grateful! We raised $59,000 to support our work in Kenya! It doesn't get much better than this sweet little spot in the Ozarks and I had to just take a moment to go through our beautiful night and thank some of the people and businesses that made it all happen...

It was the first crisp night this fall and the Pratt Place Barn looked gorgeous as always, we are so thankful that we get to use this incredible space! Bartus Taylor from Buzz Events created a absolutely spectacular lounge that made you feel as if you were stepping into another world--candles, couches, trees, gorgeous lighting, and real sheep skin on the couches so our guests would be cozy. We are in awe of him yet again and so thankful for the amazing contribution.

Glazers Distributing outdid themselves again! They provide 9 tables of wine, and one high-end beer table and provide the knowledgable staff to man all of the tables! We would not have this event without them and we are so grateful for the years of support! They are spectacular! 

The food was the best of our NWA community! We had our Winetopia regulars (5 years running)-- Bordinos and Cafe Rue Orleans. We also had Arsagas, Mia Tarts, Fayetteville Pastry Shop, Berry Natural, and Old World Imports. It was the best of the best and we are so thankful to each and everyone of them for keeping our tastebuds and our tummies happy! Nature's Water provided us with fruit infused filtered water for the second year in a row!

On the entertainment side of things we have DJ Shortfuze who always provides perfect soundtrack to our evening. Sherry and Ira Schwartzman were kind enough to bring their Making Memories photo booth again this year! It is a wonderful treat for our guests! There nothing like a lot of wine and a photo booth with accessories to make for some epic images.  My dad, Joe Fennel, aka "The Carny in the Corner" runs the Wine Toss that is always the biggest hit of the night!

There were so many people and businesses involved in the making and success of this event, I have done my best to name them all below. Before I begin I would like to give a special acknowledgement to our AMAZING Winetopia "Core Crew"! We have incredible volunteers every year and I will list them all below, but our "Core Crew" is a group of some of my favorite people on the planet that have been volunteering with us for years and spend quite a lot of time and energy outside of the event with me planning, giving feedback, adjusting, and figuring out the best ways to run the event. These people are the reason our event gets better every year and I am beyond grateful to them. The Winetopia Core Crew consists of: Our Auction Chair--Chris Beavers, Volunteer Coordinator--Meredith McKee, Boo Buchanan, Lana Lyon, Tanj Donovan, and Ellie Jones. THANK YOU ALL!! A big thank you to all of the official and unofficial volunteers that made it all possible!

I also want to thank Cole and Mary Fennel with Cole Fennel Photography for taking gorgeous photos again this year! Some of them are throughout this post, but you can see the full gallery here: Winetopia 2014 Photos--Cole Fennel Photography

Here is the lists of all of our Sponsors, Silent Auction Donors, Volunteers, and Honorary Hosts! Thank you all for making Winetopia 2014 a success:

Winetopia Sponsors

Glazers Distributors

BKD, CPA's & Advisors

McDonald's

Blakeman's Fine Jewelry

Pratt Place Inn

Buzz Events & Planning

Intents Party Rentals

Making Memories Photobooth

Nature's Water

Citiscapes Magazine

3W Magazine

Restaurant Sponsors

Bordinos

Cafe Rue Orleans

Arsaga's

Berry Natural

Fayetteville Pastry Shop

Mia Tarts

Old World Imports

Our Silent Auction Donors

All Sports Productions

Arkansas State Beauty Supply

Best Sports & Our Hogs

Bordinos

 Britney and Brandon Hurlbut

Chamber of Commerce

Chancellor Hotel

Chef Thomas from Tyson

Clubhaus Fitness

Cole Fennel Photography

Coach Chris Bucknam

Coach Mike Anderson

County Line Liquors

Dark Star Visuals

Doe's Eat Place

Dog Party

 Dr. Brian Buell

Dr. Jason Landers/PDAO

Dr. Rebecca Lucke

Elevate--CEO Forums

Farmer's Table

Fayetteville Country Club

Glo

 Good Things

 Grey Dog Vintage Boutique

Gunderpickles

Herman's

 Jennifer Lewis

Joe and Jean Ann Fennel

Joyn

 Kathy Thompson

Linley Dust

 Liz Rusher

 Lola Boutique

Lori Vincent

 Massage Matters

Matt Miller

 Maude

 Mertins Eye Clinic

 Mia Tarts and More

Mason’s

Nature's Water

Nitron

 Onemanband

Pack Rat Outdoor Center

Pesto Café

 Powerhouse Seafood

Rhonda Crone & Maliah Pinkleton

Robin Devine

Roger Boskus

Romance Diamonds

Slim Chickens

Southern Trends

Thatch

 The Bike Route

The Independent

The Rainbow Lodge

Trailside Yoga

Walker Bros

 Walton Arts Center

Watson Custom Made

Westwood Gardens

Yoga Deza

2014 Honorary Hosts

Steve & Brittany Adair

Dr. Scott & Leslie Bailey

Jeremy & Chris Beavers

Ben & Molly Blakeman

Martell Brown

Leigh & Candra Davis

Abdi Dubed

Chris Goddard & Bartus Taylor

Greg & Hannah Lee

Dr. Allyson & William Mertins

Steve & Natalie McBee

Neal & Gina Pendergraft

Jeff & Eileen Schomburger

Tom & Debi Smith

Volunteer Crew

Chris Beavers

Meredith McKee

Boo Buchanan

Lana Lyon

Tanj Donovan

Ellie Jones

Rebecca Black

Brooke McDonald

Warren Fyfe

Alannah Massey

Elizabeth Gibbons

Adrienne Seeger

Kristi Batchelor

Anne Michelle Hopwood

Laura Jones

Garret Gunderson

Alexandra Buell

Charlie Hoeven

Seth McCutcheon

Chase Hayes

Chris Arcana

Curtis Willis

Shelia Cole

Devin Cole

Spencer Sabo

Cameron Baker

Bartus Taylor & The entire Buzz Events Crew

Michael Adkins

Kimberly Clinehens

Kristin Wolfe

Stephen Black

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GUESTS!

With immense love & gratitude,

Sarah Fennel

We are Here--Restore Humanity Reaches 8 Year Mark!

I heard this new song that Alicia Keys released today and it just struck a chord in me. She sings “We are here, we are here for all of us.”  It tapped into that part of me that connects to the rest of the world, to the human race as a whole, and that is the best feeling that I know. It is easy to get caught up in the everyday to-do lists or to start sweating the small stuff, but then I remember that feeling—the feeling of clarity or self transcendence where I feel and know with every fiber of my being that there is something greater than us.  Its what connects us.

Restore Humanity reached our mark of 8 years this past weekend and I have been reminiscing and reflecting about how much has changed in my life and within our organization. What struck me most of all is remembering all of the incredible people I have met along the way that have had roles, both big and small, in making this all happen. There have been so many amazing people from all over the globe and from all walks of life that have made Restore Humanity what it is today. I am so thankful for the last eight years and I am so excited for the future to come!  It has been: liberating, joyful, uplifting, inspiring, both heavy and light, and full of more love than I know what to do with. This work has expanded my heart and has taught me so much. I am exceedingly grateful to an ever-increasing number of people for making this happen!

As I prepare for our upcoming fundraiser Winetopia (October 3rd) I am so moved by how supportive everyone is. We hope to have close to 400 guests at our event inside the gorgeous Pratt Place Barn. There will be 10 tables of wine donated from Glazers, Nature’s Water will keep us hydrated, and there will be 7 tables of food from some amazing local eateries (Bordinos, Café Rue Orleans, Arsaga’s, Fayetteville Pastry Shop, Mia Tarts, Berry Natural, and Old World Imports). Buzz Events makes it all look gorgeous and a variety of local businesses and artists donate their goods for silent auction. We also have the really fun “Making Memories” Photo-booth and DJ Shortfuze is playing groovy tunes. What is incredible is that almost every piece of it is donated (check out our poster to see all of our wonderful sponsors) and it is run by an awesome volunteer Event Crew! The joy that people have in participating and giving what they can is amazing! I am so proud to be from this community! We are so thankful for our guests, sponsors, and volunteers!  It really touches my heart to see the support that we continue to have from NWA. Our community comes together to support some awesome kiddos across the globe and to do what they can for their fellow human beings. It is spectacular! (For more information on Winetopia or to buy tickets click here! )

We are here for all of us.

Here’s to the continuation of Restore Humanity—8 years is just the beginning! Here’s to connecting with more people, growing and learning and of course giving a lot of love!

This is what I love, this is what I live for, this is what makes my life beautiful!

Immense love & gratitude to our Restore Humanity global family!

Restore Humanity's Winetopia 2014--Friday, October 3rd

Love Begets Love

I am a firm believer in the notion that the more you love, the more capacity for love you have—in other words you don’t run out of space. You can stress yourself out over time and energy and yes there is only so much of that, but there is endless room for love. You don’t have to be guarded or worry that by loving one person you cannot love another. To be clear, I am not talking about romantic love—that is an entirely different ballgame. I am talking about love for everyone else in your life or everyone else in the world for that matter.

I have accepted this conceptually for as long as I can remember, as I was raised with an enormous amount of love. However, despite my upbringing sometimes I am guarded.  This is perhaps out of fear or a perceived need to “protect” myself because I feel overwhelmed at how much I can love and am naturally afraid of the potential for pain that necessarily comes with such deep attachment. It is usually not a conscious decision.  I just contract and put up walls. There have been times when I literally feel like I just don’t have anymore room available.

In the past few weeks, since returning from my last trip to Kenya I have been recovering and getting my wits about me. This trip was emotionally more taxing than usual. This was a little puzzling because on many of my trips I have experienced and witnessed far worse things. Of course every trip is emotional.  I am spending time with these beautiful kiddos that I love dearly and when you have 17 kids there is a lot of joy and pain co-existing. When something is going well for one child, another is experiencing a rough patch. It is always hard, it is always emotional, and it is always wonderful. It is usually a process to get through, but oh so worth it.

Upon returning home from each trip to Kenya I always need a little down time to reflect and appreciate what I just experienced.  This time was a bit different.  I have been stuck in this emotional fog since my return and I couldn’t figure out why? I have been hibernating more than usual and have felt unable to take on anything else emotionally, even positive things.

Then I had this profound experience that is somehow easiest to explain with a Dr. Seuss reference. Those of you familiar the book and film ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ will no doubt know the character of the Grinch and (hopefully) recognize how little I have in common with him.  However, in the story there is the following line: “in Whoville they say that the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes that day.” While this is being said you see the Grinch’s heart breaking through barriers. In the Jim Carrey version you see his heart beating out of his chest and growing bigger. It actually knocks him down and causes him physical pain. I had an experience similar to this about a week after returning home.  I could actually feel my heart expanding and making room for more love. Since then it has been like peeling back the layers of an onion, slowly accepting both the positive things and painful things alike—feeling lighter by the day...

Now I actually know this to be true; love begets love. It was a little painful and it wasn’t easy—but true growth never is. The feeling of being overwhelmed turned into a feeling of gratitude for each and every person in my life that I hold dearly.

The beauty of it is that there is room in all of us to actually love everyone else on the planet. I understand that it can sometimes be overwhelming or you feel you have reached a limit.  But, I promise, you are much more capable than you can even imagine. Sometimes loving people can feel like a “burden”, like a heavy weight on our shoulders. It can make us contract or shut down. This is the moment to resist that instinct and dig deeper—to open up and love more. If you can just “power-through” the fear there is nothing but love and peace on the other side.

 Love begets love—bravely step towards it.

Immense love and gratitude to all of you in our ever-expanding Restore Humanity Family.

The Purposeful Journey

"Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights the way" -Author Unknown

The most common question I get before I go on a trip to visit our projects in Kenya is " What are you going to do on this trip?" or "What do you hope to accomplish?" Many times my answer is that my main goal is to spend time and snuggle with our kiddos, which is actually an important part of my job. I have to be here a certain amount of time, just spending time with them to really see and understand what it is we are doing and what our children really need. It is also one of my favorite things to do on the planet--so it all works out. However, this trip has some very clear objectives that will undoubtably cut into my kiddo play time, but in the end will serve them better.

 Healthcare, or the lack thereof, is a prominent issue in the community of Sirembe--where our Children's Home is located. It is really difficult to tackle any other issues in a community when people are sick and cannot get proper treatment. We had been discussing the possibility of building a health facility in Sirembe for years, but we had to wait for the right time. Last year we put a Medical Committee together (made up of our Board of Directors and some amazing local doctors) and we were ready to take it on in 2014.  I came to Kenya in January with these objectives in mind--finalize the details of our timeline and immediate needs for the clinic, then return home to raise the funds and begin construction. However, we found another opportunity that changed our path.

It came to my attention that the local outpatient clinic in our area had the same vision for their facility as we did for ours, but they did not have access to proper funding. It is a community run clinic that was started by the church in that area, but is now mainly funded by the Kenyan government. This crucial funding is not consistent or reliable, thus their growth has been stunted. This clinic provides vital care to the area, but without proper funding you run out of medications and staff pretty quickly. In the end it is the people of Sirembe that suffer. Despite the constant struggle the community leaders of this clinic did not give up and continued to search for the funds necessary. As a result at the end of 2013 they received a partial grant from the Kenyan government to assist them in building a Maternity Ward.


This came to my attention in January and I began to see an opportunity for a partnership. They already had an outpatient clinic that had been in operation for years that was lacking in consistent medications and staff. We had doctors and donors from the US that were ready and willing to help provide healthcare for this community, but we had to first build a facility.

I set up meetings with the people running the clinic and quickly found that we had similar visions and goals for a health facility. This made sense given that we were both responding to the needs of the community. It seemed silly to build a duplicate facility right down the road, both struggling to find our way when we could come together and see an immediate effect. The ultimate goal was to provide better healthcare for the community of Sirembe and it seemed that this partnership could do just that.


After many meetings and a lot of planning with the clinic leaders in Sirembe I came home to tell our Restore Humanity Medical Committee of our new opportunity and we had to make the final decision on which path to take.  There was a unanimous vote to form this partnership with the local clinic. Everyone agreed that we could accomplish the same objectives without all of the financial burden, which would make the project both have an immediate effect and a greater chance of sustainability.

In February the local clinic began construction on a Maternity Ward with the money they received from the Kenyan government. In early April Restore Humanity was able to send a grant to the clinic to assist them in the construction. The main purpose of this journey to Kenya is to see how our money was spent and if all goes well, I will return to the US in June to raise more money to help complete this project. At the end of this month two of our Restore Humanity Board Members--Joe Fennel (who is also my wonderful father) and Brandon Hurlbut--are coming to join me here in Kenya to help assess the situation and decide the next steps.From the reports I have been given I am extremely optimistic about how this project is coming along, but we will report back once we have seen it for ourselves.

My dad and Brandon have been a part of Restore Humanity since the beginning and I am so excited for them to see the progress of our children's home and spend time with our sweet kiddos. Their feedback and advice about our home and our new undertaking will be vital to our success and I am very thankful that they are coming.

This journey has a clear purpose and our passion for our kiddos is what lights our path. We strive to make their community happier and healthier and we are very grateful for this opportunity to do so. I will keep you all posted throughout our journey and thank you for all of your support along the way!

Wine Dinner 2014 at Bordinos--We are so thankful!

Photo by Cole Fennel Photography

We are so thankful! Last Sunday, we had a sold out, record--breaking event and we couldn't be happier! First off, we want to thank all of our wonderful guests! We had the opportunity to share all about how Restore Humanity is growing--all of our projects, old and new. We gained new supporters and received some vital contributions, including five year pledges from some very generous supporters. We are also so grateful for Dr. Robert "Wine" Neralich for being our wine expert and once again keeping our event quite lively. He is one-of-a-kind and we are so grateful to have him on our team.

 Last, but certainly not least are the two integral supporters of this event and Restore Humanity as a whole. We could not do it without them--Bordinos and Glazers.

 Glazers provided all of our wine --5 different vintages for all 80 guests. They have been incredible and support us every year! 

Bordinos were the gracious donors of their beautiful restaurant, their incredible staff, and their delicious food. Chef Matt Barclay of Bordinos was at the top of his game and served 4 courses of fantastic food. Bordinos is the best of the best and we commend their generosity and all of their hard work. 

Lots of love and gratitude to all of our supporters! Thanks for making our event better than ever! A special thanks to Cole Fennel Photography for the beautiful photos of our event!

Photo by Cole Fennel Photography

Photo by Cole Fennel Photography

Photo by Cole Fennel Photgraphy

Photo by Cole Fennel Photography

Growth Feels Good

“My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing.” 

― Marcel Proust

AHHHH----it is finally Spring (at least for our readers in the Northern Hemisphere). Shaking off the winter and beginning anew is what spring is about. I always feel a little lighter and eager to move forward—excited about what the future may hold.

Every year I feel this same way, but this year the focal point is Restore Humanity. I keep thinking about how far we have come, the strength in what we have built, and my excitement about where we are headed.

We have grown so much as an organization. Our kiddos have grown, our projects have grown—we are in a really good place. By my lights, it is the grace of God and the strength of our global team that have brought us this far.

We have an incredible global team and at the head of that is our Board of Directors. Our Board is an extremely talented group of people from all walks of life that all have a true heart for what we do. All of our members have been a part of Restore Humanity for years and have gone to great lengths to lend their support. Each one of them shows their dedication to Restore Humanity on a constant basis and I am so thankful for all that they do. (Click here to see our members)

Another member of our team that deserves mentioning is Sheila Cole. She has become my right-hand lady in the last 6 months and volunteers her time on a weekly basis to help make Restore Humanity better. It is pretty awesome.

All of these amazing people (and many others) have facilitated our growth. We know so much more than when we started. For the things that we don’t know, we have worked long and hard to develop a system from which to base all of our decisions—our Mission and Vision Statements and our Core values. These serve as a way to share with others who we are—but more importantly they serve as road maps for us in difficult moments. They help us find our way and stay true to what Restore Humanity is and why we do what we do.

I am proud of us and so grateful to be a part of this. Thank you to all of our supporters— our donors of all levels, our incredible event volunteers, our supporters in real life and in social media, all of the local businesses that support us in so many ways. All of you are essential members of our family and we thank you. We receive so much love and support from all of you and we are excited to continue this journey with you...

Here are our Core Values that we just recently completed. A lot of time and energy went into them and we are so excited to be able to share with you! Enjoy!

Restore Humanity Core Values

1. Golden Rule

2. All About People

3. Intensive Cross-Cultural Collaboration

4. Prudent Use of Funds & Resources

5.Total Transparency

6. Strategic Fluidity & Patience

7. Drop the Cape

Click here for further explanation of each Value

Here are some fun photos of some of our Board Members and other members of our US Team at our past events! Enjoy them!

Shelia Cole, our RH Scholar Vincent Agare, and I at Winetopia 2013

Candra Davis (long-time supporter and volunteer), Joe Fennel (Board Member), and Michelle Fyfe (Board Member) at Winetopia 2013

Brandon Hurlbut (Board Member) and Joe Fennel (Board Member) at our Austin Fundraiser in 2011.

Dr. Scott Bailey (Chairman of our RH Medical Project), Leslie Bailey, Tim McFarland (Board Member) and I at our Wine Dinner 2013

Randy & Miriam Smith (Board Member), Vicki & Bill Mathews (Longtime Supporters), Britney & Brandon Hurlbut (Board Member) at our Wine Dinner 2013 at Bordinos

Me and Herbert "Boo" Buchanan (Board Member) at our Wine Dinner 2013 at Bordinos

Joanna Croll (Longtime Supporter), Jean Ann Fennel (Board Member) and Linda Collins (Longtime Supporter) at our Wine Dinner 2013 at Bordinos.

A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

-Mother Teresa

 A genuine smile from one of our kiddos is the best gift in the world. I could never receive a thank you more sincere than seeing one of them smiling a heartfelt smile targeted right at me. I feel beyond blessed. To see just one of them smile makes any amount of struggle or time, or energy spent to build what we have in Kenya all worth it. When I see their joy, I am reminded what it is all for.

Whenever I am in Kenya, I spend quite a lot of time with our kiddos. We play, we do homework, we read, we talk, we laugh, and sometimes there are tears. Many of the most cherished moments of my life come from this time with them.

 When you have a group of 17 kids of all ages in one house there are a lot of moments of chaos. Everybody has their own things going on, different games, or coloring or talking and giggling. There is never a dull moment.

 In the midst of all the madness these little cuties give me my greatest moments of joy through this small gesture. Many of them will search me out to look me right in the eye and smile the sweetest little smile—just to show me love and get it in return. With each one of them it is like our little secret, our moment to connect, just between us... They will just stop, smile from their heart and connect with me. We share our little moment in time.  It is as special as it is brief—and then they just continue with whatever they were doing. I absolutely love it. It is just pure heart-opening goodness, a genuine exchange of love.

 The same thing can happen with adults that I am close to or even with strangers. A genuine smile is an incredible communicator—especially for two people that do not speak the same language. Sometimes words are overrated and can get in the way of what we really want to “say.” In this situation a smile can provide an opportunity to communicate things that no amount of words can. It transcends the language barrier.

Someone’s eyes and smile can show things like love and gratitude far greater than words can—and when you are literally at a loss for words, you have to dig a little deeper to really communicate non-verbally. Because like one of my favorite childhood songs tells us:

 “There is just one moon and one golden sun

And a smile means friendship to everyone.

There’s so much that we share

That it is time we’re aware

It’s a Small World after all...”

My best friend in Kenya, Christine (everyone calls her Nyarkisumu) is one of the dearest people in the world to me.  Every day I’ve spent in Sirembe, Kenya going back to 2007 is a day I’ve spent with her. I love her with all of my heart, in fact we tell each other that often. However, she speaks Luo and I speak English. Over time we have learned bits and pieces of each other’s “mother tongue” and our conversational range has expanded.  However, the bulk of our “conversations” over the years have consisted of big and fantastic hugs, laughter and smiles, and both of us saying in Luo and English—“Aheri” (I love you) or “You are my friend” or “My sister.” Nyarkisumu tells me all of the time that she loves me from her heart or from her insides. She uses hand motions and gestures to get it across. It is really awesome. 

                                                                      Me and Christine (Nyarkisumu)

 She has gone above and beyond for me on many occasions and I try to do the same for her. Our mutual love, friendship and respect are constant and it has been this way for years. In fact, it gets stronger every time that I go back. It is a very unique relationship in my life that I cherish deeply. Although our words are limited we can meet eyes and smile—then we know all we need to know.

We all can connect through this small, yet heart-felt gesture. Give someone the gift of a smile, from your whole being and 9 times out 10 you will get it right back. As you make an effort to connect to others—you will find that it really is just a small world after all.

Restore Humanity Wine Dinner at Bordinos--Sunday, April 6th

It is that time of year again! Our annual Wine Dinner at Bordinos! We love this event--delicious food and wine is always fantastic--but we love it because it is the perfect venue to share with you the work we are doing in Kenya. 

Glazers has donated 5 vintages from Mercer Winery for us to taste and enjoy. The one and only Chef Matt of Bordinos has created the perfect menu to compliment the vino. Dr. "Wine" Neralich will teach us all a little about each vintage and the Restore Humanity Team will give updates on all of our exciting work in Kenya!

It is a unique and inspiring evening that you do not want to miss. All proceeds go directly to support our work in Kenya. Tickets sell out every year and we are already pretty close.  So please get your tickets today! We hope to see you all there and thank you for all of your support.

Event Date: Sunday, April 6th

Time: 5-8pm

Place: Bordinos

Get your tickets and see the delicious menu here!

Restore Humanity--A Benefitting Charity for NWA Fashion Week 2014

We are getting really excited! Restore Humanity is one of the benefitting charities for NWA Fashion Week for the third year in a row! We are honored and we are very grateful.

We think it is an awesome concept. We live in a giving community with so many great charities and many people looking for ways to support what is important to them. We also have a thriving and innovative small business community, especially our boutiques and designers--we think it is really cool way to involve people all over the community and provides a way for all of us to work together for some common good. It is a unique event that takes a lot of man power and time-- most small non-profits, like us, are lacking in both. So the support is very welcome. We always have a lot of fun too!

It is coming up--March 3rd-8th! The schedule of events is listed below. Thursday-Saturday are the runway shows (Thursday's show is at 21C Hotel) and if you buy a ticket to any of these nights you can choose Restore Humanity as your charity and all the proceeds go right back to us! We thank you for your support and hope to see you at the show! Get your tickets here! 

http://www.nwafw.com/collections/tickets

Take a moment to watch our video that was created by the Truebadors for the NWA FW event! They did such an awesome job in capturing who we are--we love it!

Restore Humanity from Truebadours on Vimeo.

Year-End Reflections & Visions

It has been an incredible year for Restore Humanity and we want to thank each and every person that contributed their money, time, and energy to help us continue our work and expand. We are extremely grateful and wish you all the best as 2013 comes to a close and your new year begins. 

Here is a brief look at what your support has done this year and some of our goals for 2014! 

2013

• The JCO Children's Center
  • January--We moved in Shadrach to our JCO Children's Center (now 17 kids at present at our orphanage in Kenya)
  • Our 17 children that live at our Orphanage are all progressing in school and making major strides in their physical and emotional health. We are blessed with a wonderful group of children and look forward to the adults that they will become.
• We further expanded our Outreach Program:
  • We built a building for our Daycare program. The government required a separate building for our daycare program and we complied. There are 30-40 children that will attend from the surrounding area. This preschool will provide much needed assistance in early childhood development. This is a safe place, provided free of charge for mothers to have their young ones cared for while being prepared for primary school. Our trained Early Childhood Development Teacher Monica will open the doors in January 2014.
  • We now support 30 children with school fees/books/uniforms attending both Primary and Secondary school.
  • We built a new home for a woman (who is disabled from Polio) and her 4 children that live with her. All 5 of them were previously living in a 15x15ft mud house with a leaky thatched roof.  We were able to build a sturdy, plastered house twice that size with an iron roof. The joy on their faces and the continued progress that each of her children has made since then was worth every penny.
  • We expanded our Maxi Pad Program to reach two additional Secondary Schools in the area!
• We began our Restore Humanity Scholars Program and brought our first student from Kenya to attend the University of Arkansas—Moses Vincent Agare. He was the first student in our Outreach Program in Kenya and is now our first Restore Humanity Scholar. He is currently doing preparatory English study through the University of Arkansas at the Spring International Language Center.
• Restore Humanity Clinic-- We laid the groundwork for building a clinic in Sirembe, Kenya.
  • We have secured the land in the center of the village
  • We have renovation and construction plans that were created by a Kenyan Public Health Officer.
  • We have a projected annual Clinic budget.
  • We have built a fantastic Global Medical Team, in both Kenya and the US. Our Medical Advisory Committee here will be led by our Chairman, Dr. Scott Bailey.This committee will be made up of medical professionals (Dr. Mark Olsen and Dr. Allyson Mertins at present) and Restore Humanity Board Members. This Committee serves to advise our Governance Board on all things medical.

GOALS for 2014

• JCO Children’s Center (our Kenyan Orphanage)- Continue to care for our 17 children living there.
• Outreach Program in Sirembe, Kenya
  • Pay the school fees for the 30 children that we now support and add more if we can.
  • Provide free quality daycare for up to 40 local children.
  • Continue our Maxi-Pad Program for the young women attending school.
  • Find other ways to help the local schools and empower the youth.
• Restore Humanity Scholars Program
  • Continue to support our first Scholar Moses Vincent Agare in his studies here in Arkansas.
  • Assist our eldest from the JCO Children’s Center, Jerim, to begin his studies at a University in Kenya.  He graduated from Sirembe Secondary School in December 2013.
• Raise the capital we need to begin Construction on our Clinic in Sirembe, Kenya. 

Thank you all for your support! We wish you all the best as your year comes to a close and as we start anew in 2014.

Please check out our new website www.restorehumanity.org done by our friends at Strut! They did an awesome job!

Infinite love and gratitude,

The Restore Humanity Team

Madiba--We LOVE YOU

One of the greatest human beings to ever walk the earth. We love you and we will take up the torch from here. We will never forget you Madiba. 

"The world is truly round and seems to start and end with those we love." Nelson Mandela

Restore Humanity's Winetopia - Friday October 11th

TICKETS ON SALE TODAY -- Click Here To Purchase - We sold out last year, so get yours before they are gone! You are invited to our annual wine-tasting extravaganza Winetopia! We were thrilled last year at the success of our event and we can’t thank you all enough for your continued support! Due to this success we were able to continue to care for our now 17 kids at our orphanage and provide Outreach assistance to 150 more! In addition to that, the first kid that we begin assisting through Outreach in 2008 is now attending the University of Arkansas through our RH Scholars Program! It has been an exciting year!

All of our kiddos are doing great and we thank you for making that happen! So much can be done with just a little help from a lot of people! We need your help to continue our work and expand even further—building a medical clinic in this same village is on the horizon—but we can’t do it without you! So please join us for this incredible night!

Glazers has donated a spectacular selection of wines from all over the globe for you to compare and enjoy. There will be an incredible array of cuisine to complement the wine, provided by Bordinos, Cafe Rue Orleans, Greenhouse Grille, and Catering Unlimited. We will also have sweet treats from Little Bread Co. and healthy goodies from Berry Natural. Enjoy the soulful sounds of DJ Shortfuze and a variety of top-notch beer as well! There will be a wonderful assortment of silent auction items for you to bid on and don’t forget about the “wine toss” -- featuring Papa Joe as the famous “Carny in the Corner!”

Winetopia…it is almost too good to be true…

Sincerely,

Sarah Fennel

JCO Children’s Center is 3 Years Old

JCO Children’s Center is 3 Years Old “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Ernest Hemingway

Three years ago we moved our first 10 children into the Restore Humanity Orphanage— JCO Children’s Center. It has been a difficult and awesome journey! Everyone involved has learned so much through this process. These have been the best three years of my life and I am truly thankful.

Let me take a moment to say thank you to all of our incredible donors—those who gave money, time, and services to help make this dream a reality! I also want to send a special thanks to our Board of Directors! You have all worked tirelessly over the years.  Please know how much I appreciate it! Of course absolutely none of this is possible without our fantastic Kenyan team—led by Mrs. Opot and Patrick! These people work day in and day out for our kiddos and I feel so blessed to work with them!

The weeks leading up to our Opening three years ago were really hectic. We were finalizing all of our policies for the home, deciding which 10 children would be able to move in, training staff, and negotiating with furniture builders. We were picking out mattresses, linens, and all the furnishings. It was very exciting, yet highly stressful. It was easy to get caught up in the details and forget to appreciate such an extraordinary moment in time. A perfect example of this was on our move-in date, August 2nd.

The children were set to move in at 2pm that day. We were all over the place, running back and forth to the village center, cleaning everything, washing linens, setting up the rooms, and preparing the kitchen. Around 1pm I was walking to town in hopes of finding electricity so that I could print some forms. I was walking as fast as I could and thinking about all the things we needed to do... all of the sudden I heard someone yell “Sarah!” I stopped and looked up to see three of our children walking down the road.  Ester, Barack, and Sheryl were on their way to move into our home! They started running towards me and Ester gave me one of the best hugs of my life! They were so excited—smiling from ear to ear. It was incredible and I will always remember it for the rest of my life. That was an ‘aha moment’.  All of the stress faded away in an instant and I remembered what was important.

Our most vital “big picture” goal in starting our JCO Children’s Center was to run it like an institution (concerning staff, policies, efficiency, etc.) but make it feel like a home. Our entire Kenyan team has worked very hard to create a loving, stable, and consistent environment for our kiddos. We have been successful so far and we will work every day to continue this journey. By far the most impressive aspect of our home is our kiddos themselves. The love they bear for each other is apparent in everything that they do. They are constant sources of inspiration and I am so honored to know every single one of them.

Mrs. Opot and I have sat down many times over the years and reflected on this journey that we are on. We talk about how many things had to happen for us to reach this point and we recognize how blessed we are to have been a part of it. No matter how many times we tell our story, we always end up shaking our heads in wonderment and saying “Nyasaye Ber,” (which is a common Luo phrase that means God is good).

Thank you all for your support!