I have a great adoption fundraiser to share with you all.  (I know how hard it can be to find good, unique fund-raising ideas!)  It’s also just a great cause to support, even if you aren’t in need of a fundraiser…

Threads of Hope is a small organization started by a missionary couple selling hand-made bracelets from the Philippines.  They are literally saving lives and changing lives by giving struggling people on the island of Mindoro a chance to earn a living by making these bracelets.  My sis-in-law, Channelle, shared with us about Threads of Hope while she was here visiting last week — she has a lot of the same passions as we do and has been working with Threads of Hope for a couple months now.  Peter and I were really excited to learn about their philosophy because it goes right along with our desire to help empower local artisans in developing countries to make a living through fair trade commerce.  Peter called and talked to Alex (the missionary who started Threads of Hope) and they had a great conversation about ways we can get more involved and help them out once we get our site going.  Alex ended up sending us several thousand bracelets so we can begin selling them here locally as well as on the website eventually.

We are going to be selling them and giving all the profits back to their ministry, but Threads of Hope also sends out batches of bracelets for people to use as a fundraiser.  This is REALLY cool.  You contact them and let them know what you are going to be fund raising for (this gives them the chance to approve the cause) and then they send you as many bracelets as you think you can sell.  (No money needed up front — they are very trusting! :) )  Then you sell the bracelets at local venues (church functions, schools, fairs, etc.) for $1 a piece and then send 60% of the sales back to Alex.  The rest is for your fundraiser!  It’s a total win/win.  People in the Philippines are earning a living AND you are able to raise money for your cause.  Reciprocal blessing — it doesn’t get much better than that!!

Check out their website and read the story about how it all got started.  It’s pretty inspiring what God can do when ordinary people see a need and choose to do something about it!

The bracelets are awesome, too, by the way.  Each one is so unique and the colors are gorgeous! (I won’t even tell you how many I bought for myself personally!!  :)   The Threads of Hope website isn’t set up for small orders — and it’s not really a commerce site, so if you want to buy a few (anywhere between ten and a hundred!) let me know and I can send them to you in the mail.  They would make great party favors, or small gifts and the cause is a good one!