New Fundraising & Awareness Ideas?

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Hi Everyone,

Let's keep the ideas flowing so that everyone who wants to participate will have tons of options of things to do! And if anyone has anything else to add to the Awareness or Events pages, please let me know!

http://www.cdhsupport.org/events

http://www.cdhsupport.org/awareness

Dawn

[kgalli]

Dawn, hi.
I want to do something for cdh, but being disabled it is hard for me to do, plus being on a tight budget, that makes it harder. I emailed someone regarding card volunteer, but no one got back to me. I want to get the word out about cdh, but I have no idea how to do it, do you have any suggestions or does anyone have suggestions? Also, please let me know how I can help and volunteer for this website. I am always home and get bored very easily. lol
Aunt Nancy
my email address is nwischnewski@aol.com
thank you.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Hi Nancy! We'd love any help at all!!!! :)

Shelly is our Volunteer Committee Coordinator. Please e-mail her at sevans@cherubs-cdh.org and she will get you all started on the cards.

Actually, we don't mail out cards anymore and anyone here can help do this..... we just make sure to PM members on their cherubs' birthdates or memorial dates (from the calendar above - click on the name to see their profile and see if they are survivors or non-survivors and just send them Birthday or Thinking of you messages). That's it. :)

As much as I wish we could, we can't afford sending out over 2000 cards a year to all the members now so we're using PM instead.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Ok, everyone let's get creative and think of ways we can help raise awareness and funds for free from home!!! Here's what I came up with from what's been posted here already or things we've tried, etc:

- Writing the media. E-mailing. Calling. Anything to bring attention to CDH.

- Contacting your local town hall to get a CDH Street Sign put up to raise awareness.

- Search the internet for research articles to add to our library here (in the Links section)

- Post our ribbons and info about CDH anywhere and everywhere you can on the internet to help educate the public

- Create a video or help others to create videos

- Kate and Jeanne might need help putting together jewelry?

- Random Acts of Kindness Cards (ok, those cost a bit to print - but the acts are free!)

- Use the CDH Awareness Ribbon on e-mails, posts, blogs, etc. Or the Adopt a Cherub graphics or any of the CDH Awareness Logos.

- Search the internet for new CDH families and make them aware that CHERUBS is here for them. Blogs, Myspace, Facebook, MSN, personal sites... just google CDH and millions of pages pop up.

ok, ideas anyone else?

[kgalli]

Thanks Dawn. I am going to think of things here in my brain, when it is working. lol And get out there and do something. I am going to contact my local hospital and see if they can get something going here in the asheville area about cdh. I know this year I am going to make holiday cards with CDH on them and this website, so my friends and famly know about it. I know I heard about this website, believe it or not, from a friend of yours, he came and fixed my computer from The Geek Sqad, I can't remember his name, but he saw pictures of Elijah when he was born and in the hospital and asked me about it and I mentioned CDH and was surprised he knew what it was, and he mentioned you and your family that he is friends of yours and went right away to the website, even before fixing my computer. I just can't remember his name. Old age. lmao
Aunt Nancy

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Jason? Wow, that's great! I'll have to thank him. We used to work together and have been friends for about 7 years now. He's one of the nices, most genuine people I've ever met.

[kgalli]

yes he is, it was funny he spent like almost 5 hours here. lol we were surfing the web and just talking about cdh and you guys. I had alot of fun with him, and am so happy that he gave me this website.
Nancy

[Kristin Morrow]

I just wanted everyone to know that for CDH "Public" Awareness Day coming up on March 31st, I have ordered a pack of 100 mini ribbon buttons to pass out around work and to my family for them all to wear! I have also printed out a bunch of our brochures (in color) and I'm going to drop them off at our ped office, the NICU where Landen was and also the NICU in the hospital I work at to help spread awareness. I'm very excited and the girls I work with are so supportive of me in this project!

I've been also writing our local news stations hoping to get something going for awareness day! haven't heard anything yet but I'm gonna keep bugging them until someone answers me.

One other thing... last weekend my husband had his CDH shirt on when we went out to breakfast and someone asked him what it meant!! Very exciting. we are spreading awareness out here in AZ one person at a time!

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Kristin, that's great that you're doing all that to raise awareness!!! :D

[StephanieOlivarez]

Kristin--you ROCK for spreading CDH Awareness!!!

[Damon andSharonknott]

This may have been already been talked about..
But what if when members are sending letter's to magazine's/newspapers they pop a disc in with our CDH ribbon on it. In the letter, members could request the ribbon be used as a community service ad! I know in Australia papers do put community ads in as fillers.
(the only cost would be the disc and the postage)

[StephanieOlivarez]

I think this is a grand idea.
I wonder if we could send the ribbon and use the one's that have our chilrdren's picture on it. You could cut and paste it to your letter.
So, when are you going to send the letter and ribbon to Australia papers????
I am so not computer savy--how are you going to put it the ribbon on a disk? Just save it? Like I said, not computer savy. But I can tell you that I have learned So much from members and especially Barb Wagner. SHE ROCKS!!!!!
It is good to learn something new everyday. Right???lol
Except for bad things--but that is all apart of life.

[Corin Nava]

Kristin- Thats awesome! Sounds like you are keeping very busy! How is Landen?

Shaz- I think thats a great idea. I will have to check and see if my local papers would be interested!

[Damon andSharonknott]

Steph, I will wait till Danielle is back.
Corin, I hope that will!

[Kristin Morrow]

I have all but a few of my buttons passed out and I posted Landen's personalized ribbon at work. All the girls I work with are so excited to wear their buttons for me! I have such a good support system at work and they all love Landen!!

Corin-Yes I am keeping very busy between work, awareness stuff and of course little Landen. He keeps me very busy everyday. Landen is doing wonderful. He is growing up so fast. I can't believe he is 6 months old already! time sure does fly by. He is rolling all over the place. Our ped thinks he will skip crawling and go straight to walking....aaahhhhh! I'm not ready for that and neither is my house! He is so amazing and I am so lucky to be his mom. thanks for aksing about him! how's Makayla doing? She is gorgeous! I love the new pic on your signature.

[Corin Nava]

Kristen-Oh geez-right to walking-sounds like he is an active little boy :) It's good to hear he is doing so well. Any hair yet :)

Time does go by to quickly-I keep telling Ayla she has to stay little forever, but I don't think she's listening to me. She is already almost 12 lbs! She is doing great-getting over a cold right now which isn't great, but overall she is amazing. I just can't get over the fact that she's actually mine :) I love being a mommy!

[Kristin Morrow]

No hair yet...as you can see in my avatar pic. he is bald...or at least its really blonde and you can't really tell if he has any hair. and he has these to die for bright blue eyes! Wow, Makayla is 12 lbs already! Sounds like she is healthy eater. She is catching up to Landen. He weighed in a couple weeks ago at our 6 month check up at 13 lbs 14 oz..only in the 3rd percentile for weight but he's really long. he's going to be tall and skinny just like his dad! My husband was a skinny kid growing up. Landen is my little peanut!

[StephanieOlivarez]

Ok ladies--had to jump in on your conversation.
Skip walking!!!Go little man Landon GO!!!
I am so happy that the girls you work with Kristin are wearing the buttons and it sure does rock that they are such good support!!
I have been thinking of you and Landen lately---it's good to hear from you.
It is something else how our babies grow up so fast, isn't it? I wish Shelby could stay little forever!!!

Corin- I want to say that when I read stuff that you write about Ayla--I have to smile. I can just tell you are a great mom and your words say it all!!! Ayla is lucky your her Mommy.

Ok, since you guys are talking weight. Shelby weighted in at 21 pounds 11 ounces today!!! We are so excited!!!! SHe for the first time in her life--went up on the growth chart!!!!!! YEAH SHELBY!!! She is still in the 3rd percentile for her age--but hey, she is gaining and that to us is FANTASTIC!!!!

Kristin--Landen is darling in your avatar picture!

[Corin Nava]

Go Shelby!!!! Thats great Steph!

[Kristin Morrow]

Steph-that's awesome that she is gaining weight! Go Shelby, Go! I'm sure Landen will eventually catch up in weight...just gotta give him time. And yes, I do work with the most amazing group of women ever. they are so supportive of me!

[StephanieOlivarez]

Kristin-you know Landen will catch up in weight. :)
It is funny I got to buy her 12 month jeans today!!!!!I was super excited!!
She can still fit in 9 month clothes and she is 19 months old.

[Damon andSharonknott]

Steph,
LOL...
Liam will be 5 very soon and is still wears 12 month/ 24 month jeans, shorts. He wears size 3 tops - alittle big.. but makes him look bulky. lol

[karahess]

Holy crap you gals! Itty bitty children! Adam is 19 months old and wears a 3T shirt and 2T pants!

[StephanieOlivarez]

Someday Liam and Shelby will be in the right size!!!!!!!! If not, that's ok.
I'll take small anyday.
I can say that I tried on one pair of the pants and they were 18 months and did not fit!! That was exciting.
Our children are Itty Bitty--just like Itty Bitty Blue (our cool van)--will Adam fit in the Itty Bitty Blue Kara??????Only kidding. lol
It is So good to hear that Adam is wearing bigger clothes for his age. That makes me smile.

[Damon andSharonknott]

Kara,
I'm smiling at Adam's weight.. YAH!!! I love to hear CDH can be fatties (I say this in a kind way)
Liam will be lean all his life I think, unless he gets a beer belly like his Dad LOL
Steph, when you mention the Itty Bitty Blue Van, I always think of a circus...lol...